Bloodlines Future's Hold
by Eleanor Damaschke
Summary: Naruto has been gone from Konohagakure for a long time. For too long, some think. Some; like one Hyuuga Hinata. But nothing is simple, not when it comes to ninja and their business. Naruhina fanfiction.
1. The Fox's Den

Disclaimer:

I do not own Naruto, Kishimoto does. And no matter how much I wish otherwise, none of the characters in Naruto belong to me. (I will steal them someday…) Chapter 1; The Fox's Den

A girl wandered along the banks of a meandering river, lost in thought. Her midnight-dark hair cascaded in an ink-hued waterfall down her back to brush the patched elbows of her tan and pink jacket as she walked, silver eyes flickering with lavender as she focused on the ground without really seeing it. She had smooth, pale skin, and a look of innocence about her, as of something untouched, or unspoiled. The girl looked like she was about eighteen or nineteen years old, of medium height and slim build, her long black-clothed legs moving steadily to the rhythm of the tap-tap of her sandaled feet. Her body swayed adeptly, adjusting her balance as she moved over the uneven ground. The girl was Hyuuga Hinata of the main branch of the Hyuuga clan, of Konohagakure. She raised a hand to her throat, where her _hitai-ate_ was tied loosely, the metal plate resting on her collarbone. Engraved with the swirling symbol of the Hidden Leaf Village, it calmly reflected the rays of the sun, but somehow that symbol seemed to mean more than what it had before. It had been a little over four years since Naruto's disappearance, and things had changed. With gentle fingers, Hinata touched the bruise that was gradually deepening to purple on her neck. One misplaced blow could mean so much.

Sitting high in an old dead oak tree, further upstream, another ninja was observing the village.

"It's been too long…" the boy was in his late teens, his tenor-toned voice clear, despite the obvious roughness of everything else about him. His tough black pants (made from the same material as Hinata's) were torn and patched, loose fitting and sun-bleached. His plain white tee shirt was also worn, though newer than the pants. Contrasting with the light fabric of his shirt, the boy's skin was a dark tan, his muscles lean and toned from years of training. His bright blue eyes scanned the surrounding trees, and the six whisker-like marks on his cheeks stood out, dark and prominent as he sensed something. Uzumaki Naruto turned toward the river, nose twitching. His once short, bright blonde, spiky hair was longer now, bleached a lighter by countless days in the sun, and now Naruto brushed his longish hair out of his eyes.

"What could that be?" he muttered to himself. Scars and calluses covered his hands and wrists, baring silent testimony to numerous missions and fights. Naruto grabbed his black and orange coat as he stood, searching for the source of that oddly familiar chakra. With a shrug, he turned back toward the village. Four years… too long.

Hinata was still walking, head down. Suddenly, a very familiar chakra signature flared at the edge of her senses. Surprised, the silver-eyed girl looked up, searching for the source of it. This was a mistake. As she looked up, distracted, Hinata's foot landed on a piece of wood, wet and mossy, that protruded from the semi-dry mud of the riverbank. Suddenly robbed of the traction it needed to support her weight, her foot slipped. Hinata, caught off-guard by her abrupt loss of balance, swayed, arms pin-wheeling as she fell toward the river. Her world became a swirl of icy water, pulling her under and away the warmth and the air. The river, delighted with its new plaything, tossed her dangerously close to boulders and deadwood trunks, sometimes letting her hit them. Panic rose up in Hinata's chest as the swift water threw her slight frame downstream. As soon as she got a decent lungful of air, she gasped, lunging for the nearest bank.

Naruto whirled, his heart skipping a beat or two. The breeze had brought him the scent of a woman. The faintly flowery smell was ripe with terror. Without a second thought, the blond ninja bolted for the river, from whence the scent had come. Leaping from tree to ground in a blur of speed, he raced down the river's bank, scanning the swift-moving waters for the woman. There! Naruto spotted a battered-looking girl trying desperately to swim for the bank, but she wasn't making any headway. She was obviously well trained, using the river's current to push her closer to the bank, but the water was working against her. Every time she came close to the bank, she would be caught in an eddying swirl or an under-current, pulling her light body away again. Dropping his coat, Naruto dived into the river, focusing chakra on the soles of his feet to gain traction on the riverbed. He grabbed for the woman's hand, and caught it, digging his heels into the rocky earth beneath the rushing water. The river wasn't very deep, but that was what made it so dangerous.

Hinata felt someone's hand close on hers, and pull hard, stopping her progress downstream. She couldn't see who it was. With a great effort, she forced her free arm against the current, latching onto her rescuer's hand.

"Don't let go!" Naruto heard the woman's yell, and the note of desperation in it. There was definitely something familiar about her, but he couldn't see her very clearly through the foam and silt that coated the river's torrential surface. He didn't reply, but redoubled his efforts, eventually managing to get both of them to the riverbank. He laid the woman (who now looked unconscious) out on the dry earth, away from the water, and got his first good look at her. Naruto gawked, disbelieving. The woman before him was Hyuuga Hinata. For a moment, he just sat there, staring. But when she began to cough, spitting up mouthfuls of water and gagging roughly, he touched her shoulder hesitantly.

"Are you ok, Hinata-chan?" Hinata gagged on the last of the dirty river water and propped herself up on one elbow, gasping as she struggled to breathe. She knew her rescuer was male, and that he knew her name. That was the extent of her knowledge.

"Are you ok?" she heard the man's voice above her again, and after she could breathe normally, she glanced up, intending to thank him. Her silver gaze met his blue one, and she froze. The recognition was instantaneous. Uzumaki Naruto was kneeling beside her, concern and relief mixed in his face. She didn't reply. She couldn't reply, she could barely even breathe.

_Naruto is back. He's right here. He just saved my life…_ the thoughts wouldn't penetrate; her mind was numb with shock. But her heart raced, beating a painful tattoo against her ribs as she looked up into his blue-eyed face, not moving.

"Hinata-chan, are you alright?" his voice jolted her mind into action as he repeated his question a third time.

"Ye-ye-yes." She managed to whisper, still staring into his eyes. With a blush, she ducked her head, sitting up. "Yes… I'm o-ok." Naruto watched her, eyeing the gashes and bruises that covered her arms and legs, her coat in tatters, studded with glimpses of her much less-torn tee shirt beneath. Hinata seemed to notice the condition of her coat at the same time, and took it off, shivering as the wet fabric brushed her numerous cuts and scrapes. Naruto felt suddenly protective, and stood to retrieve his own jacket, which was still dry.

"Here." He offered his coat, smiling, "You're soaked through, and you must be cold." Hinata's face heated rapidly as a blush darkened her complexion from white to a pretty shade of dark pink.

"N-n-no! I-I-I couldn't!" the ebony-haired girl stammered, staring wide-eyed at the coat. The young man's blue eyes twinkled, his scarred hand still offering the jacket, as much as to say '_go ahead. Take it.__'_ When she didn't move, he wrapped the jacket around her shoulders, making sure it was securely in place before leaning away again. Hinata looked down at the coat resting on her shoulders, taking in its color, the Uzumaki emblem on its sleeves, and the scent that saturated the fabric. Naruto's scent.

"I can't t-take your coat!" she protested, looking up at the blonde as her blush faded minimally, "You're wet too!"

"Yes, I am." He agreed as he stood, helping her to her feet, "But I'm not the one that fell in the river." Hinata's blush darkened so drastically at this comment that she could feel the heat radiating in waves from her cheeks. Naruto seemed to notice her blush for the first time, and he put a hand to her forehead, remembering the last time she had turned this shade of scarlet and fainted right in front of him. Now he knew better than to label it a fever, but there wasn't much else he could do without horribly embarrassing the girl.

"Your temperature is running high, too. No excuses, I'm carrying you home." And with that, the blond turned around, picking up the Hyuuga woman piggyback style. Hinata's body stiffened for a moment, then she relaxed, hands instinctively reaching up to hold his shoulders. "Comfortable?" Naruto didn't wait for an answer as he bounded off through the trees, trying not to think about it as Hinata's soft curves pressed against his back.

_Darn you Ero-sennin._

Hinata's blush only darkened at her close contact with Naruto, but she didn't dare protest. The truth was, she had been purposefully getting away from her home, trying to escape the near-panic that had set in at the news that there was going to be an assassination attempt on the heir to the main branch. They had crossed the wall now, and she could see the Hyuuga complex. In a moment of weakness, she protested.

"N-Naruto-kun, I-" but she stopped herself, unsure of how to continue. How the heck was she supposed to tell Naruto that Hiashi might very well kill him on sight? She didn't really want this time with him to end either. But Naruto had heard. He stopped, coming to rest on one of the many hot metal roofs that made up the "high road" of Konoha. Setting her down gently, he turned to face her, noting that she was no longer blushing.

"Did you say something, Hinata-chan?" the fact was, he didn't really want to waltz into the Hyuuga complex, carrying the eldest daughter of the head of the clan. He had a nasty feeling that if he did he wouldn't live to see the sunset.

"I-I'm fine. Naruto-kun. Really, I'm ok." She bowed her head slightly, dark hair falling to mask her slight blush. Suddenly, she looked up, eyes closed but smiling brightly. "And you're back, Naruto-kun… I'm so happy."

Naruto studied her closely, curiosity in his gaze. She was telling the truth, he could see that much, but her posture and tone told a deeper story. Hinata's feet were tucked together nervously, her knees were locked and her hands clasped tightly behind her back. Yet her shoulders and back were relaxed, and she was leaning forward hopefully, that innocent happy smile on her face and a curious tilt to her head. He smiled inwardly.

"Yeah." It seemed her sudden cheerfulness was rubbing off on him. With a smile, he grabbed her hand, towing her toward his old apartment. "We should at least dry off though, come on." Hinata allowed herself to be pulled across the rooftops, her eyes slightly unfocused as she leapt from roof to roof. They stopped in front of the locked door of Naruto's old apartment, and the blond boy pulled out his key.

_I hope it's still good for it._ It wasn't. The lock had been changed, and Naruto paused. Where else could he go? After a moment of thought, the blonde remembered the second place—the little shack that he had stayed in during his brief visit five years ago. Grabbing Hinata's hand again, Naruto took off. Soon, they had arrived at a tiny house outside the village proper, hugging the wall under the Hokages' monument. With a grin, Naruto touched the chakra-lock he had installed on the door and heard the tell-tale click.

The door swung easily inward, and Naruto gestured for his still-dazed female companion to proceed inside. The black-haired girl smiled slightly and went in. Following her, Naruto glanced about, wondering briefly why his little place was so clean. All his possessions were there, but everything was neat and tidy, almost spotless. Hinata stood in the middle of the main room, looking about somewhat bemusedly. Taking advantage of her distraction, the blonde dug through his closet.

"Here." Naruto tossed a towel to the dark-haired girl. "Take off your clothes and dry off." Hinata caught the towel automatically, and gazed at it, blinking. What the blue-eyed young man had said finally penetrated, and she flushed bright scarlet. Looking wildly about the room, eyes wide, Hinata managed to stutter out a surprised,

"N-N-Naruto-kun!" The room was small, and offered no privacy. He immediately regretted his phrasing and tried to correct himself.

"You can use my bedroom." He pointed, and watched as the silver-eyed young woman dived for the offered sanctuary and slammed the door closed behind her. Naruto wanted to kick himself for saying it that way, but with a faint dismissive snort shrugged it off.

Hinata leaned against the closed door, her breath coming in unnecessary gasps as her heart rate gradually slowed and the dark red color faded from her cheeks.

_Of course… Naruto would never actually ask me to…_ she shook her head violently, and slowly did as she had been told. Stripping down to her underwear, she exchanged her wet clothes for some of Naruto's old garments as he passed them to her through the laundry-chute. She found that, as she had remained petite, the clothes Naruto had worn when they were fifteen fit her reasonably well, though still little of baggy.

When Hinata emerged from the bedroom, her bundle of wet clothes in one hand, Naruto was already dressed. A faint blush colored her cheeks and she stared steadily at the floor.

"Th-thank you, Naruto-kun." The blond smiled, but didn't say anything. Instead, he took her wet clothes to hang them up outside the window to dry.

_Ero-sennin…_ The blue-eyed man suppressed embarrassment as he rounded the corner of the tiny house, cursing himself inwardly as he stared down at the clothes in his hand. _I can't believe I even thought of… The lecherous old man must have rubbed off on me more than I thought_. Naruto finished hanging up Hinata's clothes, noting with a faint blush that her bra was among the discarded garments. When he returned to the living room, the dark-haired woman was standing by the couch, fidgeting with her hair. He paused for a moment at the door, indecisive, then smiled charmingly as he entered.

"So, are you hungry?" Hinata glanced up, startled out of her own thoughts by the blonde's cheerful voice. She remembered suddenly that she hadn't eaten since the day before, and nodded slightly, a faint, grateful smile playing about her lips, her eyes downcast. With a grin, Naruto pushed her gently down onto the couch, turning toward the kitchen.

"You just sit here and relax, I'll make some lunch." The black-haired young woman blinked, wordlessly surprised. Naruto's bright blue eyes missed nothing and he grinned again. "Didn't know I could cook, did you?" For the first time, a genuine smile broke across Hinata's face, and she shook her head truthfully. The blonde noticed with a start how sad and frightened she had looked before. In contrast she was now- relaxed.

Naruto quickly busied himself cooking, trying to avoid staring at the woman, who was gazing steadily out the window, a faint smile on her lips. Though he probably wouldn't admit it aloud, she did look really cute in his old clothes. Though he wouldn't mind if that shirt fit a little better…

_Dangit Ero-sennin you perv! You rubbed off on me!_ It was the second time in as many minutes the thought had gone through his head, and it was still true. Shaking his head and silently cursing himself, Naruto busied himself again, hoping Hinata didn't notice the slight embarrassed widening of his already bold whisker-marks.

Hinata's thoughts wandered as she watched Naruto from the corner of her eye. He would pause every now and then, look at her for a moment, then shake his head and go back to work.

_Oh, Naruto-kun… you've changed so much. But have you noticed? Have I changed too?_ She tilted her head slightly, allowing her hair to fall forward and mask her face once more. _Am I stronger?_ Just then, Naruto set a large plate on the little table in front of Hinata, smiling as he picked up a piece of fish with a pair of chopsticks. She looked up, brushing her hair back from her face as she glanced up at him.

"C'mon, open up. I need an opinion from someone sober." Hinata obediently took the fish, and her eyes widened in surprise, as much as to say 'wow, this is actually good.' The man laughed, eyes sparkling as he pushed the chopsticks into her hand, pulling his own pair from a pocket.

_You don't train for so long by yourself without learning to cook…_ He watched the dark-haired woman eat slowly, trying to stop his eyes from gravitating toward her chest. _Well, not completely alone… Dang you, Ero-sennin!_ She had "grown", as Ero-sennin would put it, since the last time he had seen her. Naruto fought off a blush as he forced his thoughts away from that particular subject. He hoped fervently that Hinata didn't notice.

Even eating slower than usual, Naruto still managed to polish off two thirds of the meal as they both finished. Hinata smiled gratefully but shook her head when he asked if she was still hungry. As the blonde turned to put the dirtied dishes in the sink, he threw a question over his shoulder.

"I've been gone quite a while. How've things been here?" She followed his movements with her eyes as she answered.

"Quiet." After a moment, apparently seeing she wasn't volunteering any details, Naruto spoke again.

"What about your training? You're a chunin now, right?" Hinata blushed as he turned to face her, and looked away.

"Actually… I'm a jounin now." The blue-eyed man grinned, baring his sharp canines happily.

"Really? That's awesome! I bet Neji can't push you around any more!" Her blush darkened slightly, but her expression looked somewhat pained, and she poked her fingers together distractedly. Naruto tried to keep the suspicion and anger out of his voice, but in his mind, he was already strangling the silver-eyed Hyuuga boy.

"He _doesn't_ push you around any more… does he?" Hinata ducked her head a little closing her eyes.

"N-no." The man stepped away from the sink, hurt and worry mixing with muted anger in his bright blue eyes.

"That bruise on your neck. That isn't from the river." The girl looked up, silver eyes flashing lavender with worry.

"No… but it was my fault!" She dropped his gaze again, embarrassed by her outburst. Naruto's heart melted, his anger fading. He moved a little closer, taking her hands in his as he spoke softly.

"How could anyone so beautiful be at fault?" Feeling foolish, the blonde paused. Then, on impulse, he bent down, ducking his head to kiss her swiftly on the lips before straightening again. He braced himself for a slap or a scream, an offended reprimand, maybe… but none came.

Hinata stood for a moment, frozen with her hands still in Naruto's warm hold.

_What… what was that?_ But her heart pounded in her temples, fluttering excitedly with the answer. Even while her heart was excited, and her spirit was numb, her mind was a turmoil of emotions. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever even thought to hope for something like this- from Naruto, of all people! Confused beyond coherent thought, she looked up into his eyes. What she saw there confused her even more. A mix of emotions; tenderness, gratitude, admiration, gentle concern… even a flicker of nervousness. Her knees went weak, trembling under the pressure of keeping her off the ground. A very familiar fuzziness blurred the edges of her consciousness, and Hinata knew she was about to faint. But she surprised herself by forcing it back, staring into Naruto's eyes, unblinking. His intense blue eyes looked deep into hers, and she trembled. Without a word, she tore away from him, bolting out the window and over the roofs, black hair streaming behind her in a midnight-dark river.

Naruto stared after her, his fingers tingling slightly where her cool hands had rested for that brief moment. For a minute, he just stood still, watching her quickly vanishing form, inwardly cursing himself. He knew now that his absence had magnified his feelings for the young Hyuuga woman… but had he advanced too fast? Had he pushed her away? After several minutes of mentally beating himself, Naruto followed her. Slowly wending his way through the streets, he trailed her distinct scent toward the river's bank.

Hinata was seated on a fallen tree by the river's bank, her head in her hands.

_Why did I run? What am I scared of?_ With a sigh, she closed her eyes tilting her head a little to look at the sparkling water as she opened her pale silver orbs again.

_My heart's still pounding…_ Something stirred at the edge of her senses, but she pushed it aside, lifting her chin from her hands to look at the clear blue sky.


	2. Sunlight Revealed Truth or Dare

Disclaimer:

I do not own Naruto, Kishimoto does. And no matter how much I wish otherwise, none of the characters in Naruto belong to me. (I will steal them someday…)

Chapter 2; Sunlight Revealed- Truth Or Dare?

Hinata watched the puffy white cloud trail across the sky, frowning slightly as she thought.

_Do I simply fear my own emotions? Am I not strong enough?_ She huffed, averting her gaze to stare down at the water. A whirlwind of fear, nervousness, excitement and joy welled up inside her, clouding her thoughts and distracting her. _Naruto-kun… did you really—_ Suddenly, a warning blared through her senses. Following her instincts, Hinata threw herself to the side, going into a roll as she hit the ground and springing back to her feet as a searing pain ripped through her arm. The kunai that had just scored on her shoulder thudded loudly into the ground behind her. Training took over at that point, and Hinata forced herself into a run, darting this way and that as she scanned the trees. She saw three, four, no, five chakra signatures, all following her closely. One word rang through her mind as her heart began to race. Ambush!

Another young woman was walking slowly through the forest, almost a half a kilometer away, weaving her way along the beaten dirt road. Her rough-cut pink hair swayed slightly in the faint breeze as she walked, her long easy stride carrying her toward the village of Konohagakure. Her eyes, once light sea-foam green, had darkened over time to become more bluish, turning teal in recent years. Haruno Sakura checked her scroll pouch once more, making sure the Kazekage's reply was still there. A vague sense of danger made the medical ninja stiffen slightly, her stride quickening. This close to the village, threats like thieves and marauders were unlikely, so unless someone was targeted directly… Sakura shook her head, glancing warily from side to side. You never could know for sure, until someone got hurt.

Hinata was forced to do an awkward hop-skip several steps backward to avoid several more shuriken as they whistled in from different directions.

_Naruto-kun…_ All five of her attackers had come out into the open now, each wearing identical dark grey shirts and tan pants. Each man was different only in where he wore the signature Cloud-village _hitai-ate_. They all seemed reluctant to move in closer, but they were toying with her as it was, so there was no real need to. One of the men sprang forward, pushing the young woman into a one-handed back flip to dodge the his double-bladed kunai. Lavender eyes flashed as she spotted an opening, and she pivoted on the heel of her palm, flinging three shuriken with her free hand as she pushed herself away again. Hinata's feet hit the ground with a soft double tap and she lunged, lashing out with three kunai in each hand. Her thoughts flashed once more back to Naruto.

_What did he mean by it? Does he really care for me?_ Three of the men leapt backward, but the other two weren't fast enough. Slashes appeared across their chests like gorges suddenly ripping the land apart; but neither of them bled. Instead, the two of them exploded into a million droplets of water.

"Water clones?" cloud-village ninja… it made sense, to an extent. But Hinata's immediate problem was a little more pressing. She had been so preoccupied with her own emotions and thoughts of Naruto, that she hadn't noticed the two men slip away while their partners replaced them with clones. The two ninja in question came from behind her now, both getting close enough to deal a major blow to her defense. One slammed a kunai into the thick muscle behind her left shoulder, and the other preformed some kind of elemental jutsu, and using his companion's kunai like a lightning rod, sent a strong and painful shock of electricity through her body. Hinata shuddered violently, a scream of pain bursting from her throat.

Sakura froze, green eyes flashing as she heard a woman's scream. Without a second thought, she swung around, heading back through the trees toward the river.

"That was Hinata-chan…" the pink-haired woman's expression was worried as she sped through the trees. It had been quite a while since she had seen the Hyuuga woman, but if she knew the soft-spoken girl at all, Hinata wouldn't be prepared for an attack. In a rush of blinding speed, Sakura found the river, and saw her friend kneeling, two men looming over her. Anger flared in her mind, and without a thought for herself, Sakura dove out of the trees, hands balled into hard fists. One of the men managed to evade her attack, but his partner wasn't so lucky. He hit the ground hard, and the pink-haired woman felt something crunch nastily beneath her fist, but she didn't pause to see what it was. The cloud nin backed off, judging their new opponent. Taking advantage of their hesitation, she touched Hinata's uninjured shoulder lightly, not taking her eyes off of the four remaining men.

"Are you ok, Hinata-chan?" Sakura's voice was low and concerned, but she didn't turn to look at her friend. That would be a fatal mistake.

Naruto checked himself in mid-stride as Hinata's scream pierced the air.

"Oh, no!" he breathed, blue eyes widening in fear as pupils narrowed dangerously. He took off, the force of his motion knocking a couple passers-by clean off their feet as the blonde sprinted across the village, making a beeline for the river. He leaped over the wall and sped through the trees, streaking from one branch the next, his vision blurring in a kind of angry red mist as the scent of Hinata's blood reached his sensitive nose. As instinct took over, his eyes started to glow an unholy scarlet. His mind was filled with a blind rage that he had felt only once before, the kind of anger that over-ruled everything in its way.

_No one hurts Hinata and gets away with it!_ In his mind, Naruto felt the Kyuubi growl approvingly. Yokai chakra pumped through his body, anger mounting as the man's sensitive nostrils were flooded with the scent of Hinata's fear. The blonde ninja dove into the river, letting the current speed his progress downstream before he blasted out of the water in an explosion of fury.

Hinata stumbled, falling to one knee as the shuriken from her opponent scored deep cuts in her arms and legs. Fighting back-to-back with Sakura, the black-haired woman felt safer, but her strength wouldn't hold out forever. Her left arm was pretty much useless, still paralyzed from the electric attack that had brought her friend to her side, but fighting one-handed was a major drain on her energy. Something exploded from the river in a glittering shower of tiny water droplets, and all eyes turned to see a very angry-looking Naruto standing on the bank. Hinata and Sakura both gasped aloud, though for different reasons. The young Hyuuga woman was surprised and somewhat awed that Naruto would come after her, and maybe a little frightened by his appearance. Sakura, on the other hand, gawked at the man. Even disregarding the glowing red eyes and long wicked-looking claws, she was nothing short of dumb-founded by her old friend's sudden reappearance after his four-year absence.

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata breathed, silver eyes wide. That one word seemed to snap everyone back to reality. One of the cloud ninja lunged forward desperately, his eyes fixed on Hinata. As though in slow motion, the young woman watched as Naruto leapt forward to intercept the man's attack. As he sped past, at first it looked as though her had over-shot his target. The cloud ninja froze, a look of terror on his face before the numerous lethal wounds inflicted by Naruto's claws opened in a spray of scarlet blood. Hinata flinched, feeling the warm liquid spatter across her. A veritable massacre followed, and Sakura retreated, pulling Hinata with her. The girl's silver eyes were closed, and her head turned aside as though to protect herself from the sound of tearing flesh, breaking bones and screams of pain and terror from the men. One of the would-be attackers, trying to flee, bolted in their direction. In a move borne of desperation, he grasped the hilt of the kunai still protruding from Hinata's shoulder, and ripped the barbed blade out of her body, hurling it over his shoulder at Naruto. The yokai-enraged man caught the kunai easily, but his eyes narrowed at the sight of Hinata's blood dripping from the twisted tip of the blade. With a snarl, he leapt forward and ripped the man limb from limb with his bare hands, stabbing him repeatedly with the bloody kunai until Hinata's dazed groan stopped him. All the men were dead now, and the red slowly faded from Naruto's eyes.

Sakura, recovering from the shock of finding that the "number one hyper-active knuckle-headed ninja" was still alive, turned to Hinata.

"Naruto, are you ok?" she called to him over her shoulder, inspecting her half-conscious friend's shoulder. The blonde shook his head, blue eyes focusing on the scene before him as his daze cleared. He realized almost immediately what must have happened, and frowned. It had been a very long time since he had lost control like that.

"I'm fine. What about Hinata?" Sakura bit her lip, one hand bracing the woman's uninjured shoulder while the other checked her pulse.

"She'll be ok. She's lost a lot of blood though… she must have suffered some sort of electric shock…" the medical ninja trailed off, muttering to herself as she sent chakra flowing through Hinata's body. As she healed the dark-haired woman's wounds, she noted what she was wearing for the first time.

_Naruto's old clothes? Is there something more to this than what I'm seeing?_ She considered Hinata's shoulder for a second, then preformed a healing jutsu, knowing her chakra without a design wouldn't be enough. The gash was deep, but it seemed the area had been numbed by the electric shock and the blade, while heated by the electric current, had cauterized the wound. It was just as well the girl's shoulder had been numb when the man ripped the kunai from it; the muscle was torn up pretty badly. Shaking her head, Sakura concentrated on healing the gash.

Naruto let out a soft self-disgusted snort, gazing down at his blood-soaked hands.

_Dangit… I swore I'd never go berserk like that again… putting my friends in danger like this…_ Without turning, the blonde man threw a question at Sakura.

"What exactly did I do?" his old team mate answered in an 'asking no questions, telling no lies' tone.

"You tore through those men like a knife through rice paper. You saved out lives, that's what you did," Sakura informed him. Hinata lifted her head with an indistinct sound of surprise. Resisting the urge to swing around and check on her himself, Naruto half-turned, tilting his head so he could look at the two girls from the corner of his eye.

"So both of you are ok?" His tone was concerned, but almost flat. It was the only way he could hide his emotions from his old friend now.

"N-Naruto-kun! You're hurt!" Hinata's silver eyes were fixed on him, an almost desperate plea in her voice as she spoke. He turned away, unable to look at her any longer. It was true enough that several gashes marked his arms and back, but they would heal quickly enough.

"Worry about your own wounds, Hinata-chan," that wasn't exactly how he had meant to say it, but the girl worried too much about other people, and never about herself.

Hinata flinched, hurt in her eyes. The worst of her fears had been made into reality. Naruto thought that she couldn't defend herself, a helpless girl in need of protection; that she was weak. She turned her head to stare dispiritedly at the ground for a moment. Naruto thought she was weak, and it was true. She had no real strength… The blonde turned, frowning. He sensed that Hinata was hurt, and not just physically. She sat still as Sakura healed her wounds. The work was done quickly, and the pink-haired med nin stood, turning to him.

"Let me see those wounds," she murmured. There was no malice or reproach in her voice, only compassion and worry. Naruto shrugged her off, turning away again.

"I don't deserve your treatment, Sakura. Save your strength for yourself," his tone sounded the carried the same defeat that the Hyuuga woman felt. Hinata's head jerked up, and she was protesting aloud before she even realized that she was speaking.

"D-don't say that, Naruto-kun! You d-deserve Sakura-chan's att-tention much more than I do. You did all the fighting," she blushed faintly, but this time she didn't look away.

"I did all the slaughtering, more like. There is no place for me here. I should go," Naruto snorted, self-disgust in every word as he spoke. Sakura's hand on his shoulder stopped him, and he met her turquoise gaze. Her eyes were hard as she told him to take his shirt off with a gesture.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Naruto. You did what needed to be done," she spoke softly but firmly. He grimaced as the healer ran her hands over his wounds, but his voice was steady as he informed them of exactly how he felt.

"I acted like a possessed thing! I'm a monster…" Hinata scrambled to her feet, and there was a look in her eyes that was more than just personal hurt now.

"No you're not! If you hadn't done what you did, I'd… I'd be dead," the girl bowed her head, letting her hair conceal her face as she spoke. "I was helpless. If only I hadn't been so stupid, none of this would have happened!" Boy and girl were facing each other now, and Sakura just went about her business, healing Naruto's injuries as the two argued with each other over whose fault it was.

"I lost control, there's no excuse for that!" the man's spiky hair bristled and self-loathing shone in his eyes. "I could have hurt you!" Hinata shook her head, hands balled into fists.

"But you didn't, and that's what counts!" Naruto turned his head aside so he didn't have to look Hinata in the face.

"Look, I know what I did and what I meant. There's no way to hide what I've done," the self-accusation in his tone was clear. The woman's clenched fists were shaking, and she seemed, for once in her life, actually angry.

"Would you just shut up!" Hinata yelled. Sakura froze, shocked, and Naruto jerked backward, caught completely off-guard. "You're not a monster! I don't care what you say or what you do, I love you!"


	3. A Vixen's Colors

Disclaimer: No, I still don't own Naruto. I wish that I did, but if wishes were horses, then beggars would ride. In any case, all of the following characters belong to Mr. Kishimoto-sama and not to me. *is sad* Chapter 3; A Vixen's Colors

Hinata immediately clapped her hands over her mouth, horrified that she had finally been provoked to say it after all these years. The woman's black hair rippled out behind her as she spun on the spot, putting her back to her friends as a brilliant red flush stole across her cheeks. Several moments of silence followed as Sakura finished up her work and vanished, muttering some excuse about a note for the Hokage that she should have delivered an hour ago.

Complete silence surrounded them, as the two stood alone on the river's bank. Naruto stared at his childhood friend's back, still disbelieving. Hinata stared at the ground, blushing furiously and praying that she hadn't just driven him away. Naruto's mind was blank, shock and dumb astonishment driving away all other thoughts of doubt.

_She… she loves me?_ A feeling, warm and comforting stole over him. He wondered for a moment how he had been so dense before, to not notice his own feelings for her. But the mature part of his mind questioned him quietly, unaffected by his emotions. It queried quietly about her knowledge, how long it would last, how dangerous it would be…

"Do you know what I am?" finally, Naruto spoke, his voice soft. To anyone else, it might have come across as a very strange question, but Hinata understood. She nodded, answering his question in a softer-than-usual voice.

"I've known… for a long time." It had actually been an accident that she had found out. Shortly after Naruto had left for his two-year training trip with Jiraiya-sama, Hinata had overheard Kakashi-sensei and Iruka-sensei talking.

_"Are you sure he can handle it? If the Akatsuki are after him-" Iruka's tone was worried, but Kakashi cut him off, nonchalant as ever. _

_"Then Jiraiya will have it under control, he can take care of himself," the silver-haired jounin waved a hand slightly, but Iruka frowned. _

_"I know he can take care of himself, but can he take care of Naruto?" the concern for his former student was clear. Kakashi shrugged and buried his nose in a book. _

_"We'll find out when they come back, won't we? Be a little more optimistic, Iruka. Naruto's a tough kid," Kakashi seemed to think that the book he was reading was far more interesting than their conversation. Hinata stayed silent, her back pressed against the wall of the building, the corner hiding her from the two jounin._

_"But what about the Kyuubi? With that __thing__ in him, would getting any stronger really help?" Iruka was rubbing his knuckles, looking nervously up at the sky. Kakashi sighed and closed his book. _

_"Regardless of whether or not it will help, Naruto will conquer that demon. You and I both know it. And if he can't, he'll die trying."_

Naruto's voice was grave when he spoke again, and Hinata turned to face him, meeting his gaze.

"Then you know what could happen. There are people who really hate me… because of what I am… what I carry," his tone sounded like he might be at his own funeral already. Hinata shook her head, a bright pink flush darkening her face.

"I d-don't care," before he could protest, she went on, stuttering badly. "If they h-hate me too- if they th-throw us out of the village, b-because of th-that, then s-so be it. As long as I'm w-with you, then it doesn't m-m-matter." Naruto stared at the woman before him with something approaching awe in his eyes. She had touched on the very subject that would have been his single fear and argument against... them. Disregarding the opinions of her family and her village, she had chosen him over them. He moved forward, his heart beating an irregular tattoo against his ribs.

"Hinata, I-" But he couldn't find the words to say. In a bold move that surprised both of them, Naruto closed the gap between them, effectively ending his sentence. He wrapped his strong arms around her shoulders, holding her tightly to his body. The woman stiffened, and heat radiated from her face in hot waves, signaling the presence of a particularly dark blush. Then, slowly, she relaxed. Naruto felt her start to sway and held her a little closer.

"I'll never leave you again. Not if it kills me," this seemed to be the last straw for Hinata. She went completely limp in his arms. Smirking ever so faintly, Naruto picked her up. There was a smile on her face as he held her close, padding slowly back toward the village. It was good to know that some things would never change.

Naruto felt the warmth of Hinata's body against his, and was glad that he was the one that was still conscious. She was so small…. It struck him now as odd that he had never noticed before how petite she was. It didn't take them long to reach Naruto's little house, and then he set Hinata down on the couch. With a faint sigh, he slipped into the shower, washing various stains from blood and gore off of his skin. When he reemerged into the main room, toweling off his hair, Hinata was just coming around to waking up. With a grin, Naruto offered her a fresh, dry towel.

Sakura stood in Tsunade's office, waiting for her sensei to finish fuming over Gaara's message. The scroll was unrolled, sprawling across her desk as the blonde woman stared at it, muttering to herself. Glancing up at her pink-haired student at last, Tsunade sighed.

"This makes things complicated… and you say Naruto has finally returned?" the tired tone in Tsunade's voice made her student frown slightly. Sakura nodded, watching the woman carefully. The Hokage seemed upset by something—and tired, very tired. Tsunade put a hand to her face and massaged her temples, a soft groan slipping from her lips.

"Darn that man… he always finds a way to make things hard for everyone else…" the older woman paused for a second, then met her gaze once more. "Update me on the status of our top shinobi." Sakura thought for a moment, the rattled off a list long-since memorized.

"Most of our exceptional shinobi are accounted for. Neji, Shino, Lee, Kakashi, Shikamaru, Choji, Ayame, Hinata, Kurenai, Asuma, Konohamaru, and Kisume are all active and waiting for assignments. Gai and Iruka are both MIA, and Sasuke is still… missing," Sakura struggled to keep going, forcing her thoughts away from the dark-haired boy she had fallen for all those years ago. "Shikamaru and Kisume are on a mission, and Choji, Tenten and Lee left for the Land of Rain yesterday, I believe." _I wonder why she's asking me, though. I'm not her secretary…_ Tsunade sighed and placed both hands flat on the table, apparently coming to a decision.

"Sakura, I want you to gather all the ninja in your age group who are not on missions already and have them here in a week," her blue eyes flashed and a grim smile appeared on her lips. "That includes Naruto." Sakura nodded, saluted, and left. That smile made her shudder.

_Hokage-sama is up to something. That's eight jounin, six chuunin and a genin. What is she planning?_

When Naruto returned from fetching Hinata's clothes for her, he noticed immediately that something was missing. Hinata was nowhere to be found. Towel still slung about his neck, dressed in a pair of dark cut-offs and a white tee shirt, the blonde searched through the tiny house, seeking that lavender-eyed beauty that had so recently made her way back into his life. He finally found her on the roof, sitting with her knees drawn up to her chin as she watched the puffy white clouds drift across the sky. The sun was making its slow way down toward the horizon, playing hide-and-seek with the clouds as it prepared for its trip around the world. He smiled, approaching from her from behind on silent feet. Her deep indigo-tinted hair trailed in a tight braid down her back as she watched the sky, silvery eyes distant as she was lost in her own thoughts. She didn't seem surprised as he took a seat beside her, but as she tilted her head to look at him, he saw a deep sadness in her eyes. Hinata leaned against his shoulder, sliding her hand into his as they sat together.

"You've been thinking about sad things again," Naruto commented. When she didn't respond he continued, "now, there'll be no more of that!" He grinned at her, and she smiled slightly. Striving to lighten the mood, he sat down beside her. "Sad things aren't allowed in your mind. This is a time for happy things!" the blonde was awarded with a giggle, and she squeezed his hand, eyes alight with laughter.

"I guess that means I'll have to focus on now, doesn't it?" she teased, a faint pink flush coloring her cheeks as she held his hand. Naruto's blue eyes sparkled and with a smile, he shifted so that his shoulder was touching hers.

The pale-eyed woman felt a shiver crawl up her spine, a pleasant tingle at the touch of his skin on hers. It was good to feel like this. To feel needed- it was something she had always longed for and dreamed of. And now it was happening. A warm, glowing kind of feeling flooded her, and she leaned against him. It all felt so… right. Just to have him here, by her side. Thoughts of Neji and Hiashi fell away, the troubles of an unrelenting family and unappreciative father all vanishing as she scooted a little closer to her blonde warrior, making their thighs touch. It made her cheeks glow embarrassedly to be this close to him, but she was becoming bolder, the longer that she stayed with him.

Another young shinobi was on the rooftops, watching as the sun dipped lower and lower over the horizon. He was moving over the houses and streets below, the steady tap-tap of his sandals pausing only long enough to jump casually from one roof to the next. A familiar black-haired jounin jogged slowly toward his own home, signature dark jumpsuit giving away only hints of his muscled physique. Rock Lee paused over a dango shop, sniffed appreciatively, then moved on. He had training to do. Thankfully, the "bowl-cut of youth" was gone, replaced by a short ponytail at the base of his neck. The young ninja was humming something that sounded suspiciously like "The Fountain Of Youth" when he spotted the seated figures of his old friends. Swerving toward them, Lee suddenly stopped at fifty meters away. He froze in mid-stride, eyes wide as he recognized, not only the area, but the blonde-haired man that sat with Hyuuga Hinata.

"NARUTO?!?" His surprised outburst was met with a guilty start from both girl and boy, and they both scrambled quickly to their feet, separating themselves and blushing furiously. Hinata (as usual when around Naruto) was beet-red, and Naruto was some embarrassed shade of pink. The huge gap between the little house and the next roof was no obstacle for the jumpsuited ninja. Lee closed the distance between himself and his old friends within a matter of less than a second, stopping just inches from the Uzumaki's face. Naruto turned red under his fellow's close scrutiny and mumbled "hi." Lee grinned and clapped him on the back heartily.

"Uzumaki Naruto! I never thought I'd see you again!" Lee saw the man wince after the first sound slap and smiled inwardly. "I thought for sure you'd walked right off the planet! I mean, with all the letters and messages you sent…" he was set to slap Naruto's back a sixth time when the blond caught his arm.

"I get the point, Bushy-Brows," he growled, smiling good-naturedly. Lee laughed and shrugged it off.

"Oh, just wait until Ino-chan and Choji-chan see you! And Kakashi-sensei!" the tai-jutsu master laughed again, eyes glittering.

Naruto was surprised at Lee, but not because of his sense of humor (or fashion). The boy was easily as tall as he was, well muscled and tough looking. Like him, Lee's hands bore scars that told tails of hard training and plenty of missions. With his Konoha _hitai-ate_ now strapped around his forehead, ol' Bushy-Brows looked as cheerful as ever.

"You will be joining me for a sparring match tomorrow?" Lee asked inquiringly, though it was more of a challenge than a question. It was Naruto's turn to grin, and he clapped his comrade's shoulder with a challenging smile.

"I'd love to, but you should be prepared to lose," the blonde announced confidently. Lee raised his infamously bushy eyebrows at his old friend, still grinning.

"I'd like to see that," he sounded as though he doubted very much that Naruto would be able to beat him, even sparring. For the first time, he turned his big black eyes to the still furiously blushing Hinata.

"Hi Hinata-chan!" Lee's greeting was casual, but his expression was faintly less joyful now. He studied her for a moment, eyes shifting slightly between the red-faced woman and the blonde man.

"Uh… You know, I think I should go see Granny Tsunade now…" Naruto mumbled. Lee seemed very smug about something as he turned back to Naruto, shifting his position so he could continue in the direction of his home.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then!" he called cheerfully as he jogged off, the evening shadows soon swallowing him. He more felt Hinata's eyes on him than saw her turn.

"Are you going? To see Tsunade-sama?" Hinata's question was soft, and ever so slightly sad. He ducked his spiky-haired head, smiling faintly.

"No," Naruto's guilty tone was paired with a smile that couldn't be subdued. He heard Hinata move forward, and was surprised when she hesitantly wrapped her arms around his chest, resting her head against his shoulder. The blonde returned the embrace, a feeling of awed happiness sweeping through him. He finally had achieved what he had dreamed of for so long. Someone loved him. He had put so much effort into making people like him when he was younger – but now he had it. The undying love of another human being. He knew she didn't see him like anyone else did. She loved him.

Slowly, they made their way off the roof and down through the window and into the living room. At Naruto's insistence, Hinata agreed to rest for a while before returning to the Hyuuga complex. In silence, they sat together, until finally, the raven-haired woman dozed off. Exhausted from earlier training, the fight with the cloud-village ninja, and the injuries she'd received, Hinata could barely stay awake. Naruto watched her sleep, curled in a cat-like ball beside him. A smile tugged at his lips, and he leaned back to stare at the ceiling. Only a few hours ago, he never would have guessed that Hyuuga Hinata, the person that had always been so shy and quiet could have possibly loved him. Now… he sighed softly, a soft, warm bliss flooding his whole body. She loved him… and he loved her back. It was amazing how just a few words could change his entire world.


	4. The All Seeing Eye

Disclaimer:

No, I unfortunately don't own Naruto, or Hinata, or Lee, or Neji… They are all property of Mr. Kishimoto and I can do nothing about it. *is plotting to steal them*

Chapter 4; The All-Seeing Eye

Hyuuga Neji paced the courtyard, looking angry. It was just before dawn, and shadows were fading to grey as the sky lightened from navy blue to pinkish white. Hinata hadn't come home in the night like she sometimes did, and despite his apparent dislike of his cousin, Neji was worried. Stopping beneath a twisted old pine tree situated in the corner, the dark-haired man glanced upward at the ANBU mask hanging from a protruding twig. It was fashioned into the face of a tiger, and was his mark of finally achieving what he had wanted. But that sparring match with Hinata… Neji shook his head. He knew now that she could see he was frustrated and angry, and while trying to get her to go on the offensive he had put too much force into his blows. She hadn't said a word, neither flinched nor cried out as the flurry of punches hit her. He knew she had let him win, and was angry with her as well as with himself. If she never tried, how was she supposed to prove to her father that she wasn't the weakling he thought she was? With a sigh, Neji fell into an offensive stance and began throwing punches, pummeling the air with all the force he could muster.

_Why does she have to make things so dang complicated?_

Hinata slowly stirred, almost immediately fully alert as she saw the gradually lightening sky outside the window. Over the shapes of the buildings of the village, the sky was changing from pre-dawn grey to pale pink. For a moment, she was confused. Where was she? How had she gotten here? And why was her pillow so comfortable and warm? Lifting her head, she turned and found Naruto leaning against the wall, sleeping peacefully. One hand was resting on her back, and the other was curled protectively about one of her own. For a second, her cheeks heated, and the dark-haired woman wondered what had happened. Then the memories came back, and the blushed deepened as she smiled embarrassedly.

_So it wasn't just a dream… he really is back._

Shifting slowly, Hinata slipped out of Naruto's light hold and stood. Stretching, she realized just how late it must be as the sun peeked over the horizon. The sky exploded into a brilliant sapphire blanket, and the pale-eyed woman blanched. Without a sound, she vanished out into the dawn light, leaving the sleeping Naruto behind.

The blonde ninja approached the training grounds slowly, lost in thought. He could hear someone pummeling one of the upright logs, and judging by the ferocity of the attacks, he assumed it was Lee. Leave it to Bushy-Brows to be early to get in some last-minute warm-ups… but Naruto's thoughts were more focused on Hinata than his sparring match with the taijutsu specialist. Last night had been… confusing. Why had she left him alone?

_Naruto-kun. I'll wait for you at the training grounds in area A-3._ ~Hinata

That was what he note had said. Bringing himself back to reality, Naruto forced his thoughts on to his surroundings instead of the dark-haired woman's absence that morning. Pushing his way through the gate bearing the sign that read "A-3", the blonde paused, surprised. The incessant pounding of fist and foot on hard wood was not coming from Lee, who was actually perched on top of the log. No, the sound was coming from Hinata. Dressed in black cut-off pants and a tan tee shirt, the pale-eyed woman was flowing through a pattern of juuken-style punches and swift kicks. Her movements were fluid and easy as she shifted from one stance to the next, never ceasing her attack. Naruto couldn't help but stare, almost disbelieving. He didn't know what he'd expected, but this was most certainly not it.

"Ah, so you are alive," with some difficulty, Naruto tore his eyes away from the mesmerizing form of the dark-haired girl to face the source of the voice. There, leaning against the fence, was a young man of about roughly his age and height, face hidden in the shadow of the enormous tree just outside the fence's perimeter. His long brown hair was tied back away from his face in a kind of loose horsetail, and calculating silver eyes studied him from under the high, noble brow and thin, almost scathingly arched eyebrows. Whatever else he was, Hyuuga Neji was neither particularly surprised nor especially pleased to see his old classmate back from his four-year absence.

"Yeah, I guess I am," Naruto grinned, trying to judge the mood of his… er… friend. His body had tensed almost instinctively upon seeing him, as Neji had never exactly liked him to begin with. There was something unsettled in those steady silver eyes… something had upset him. Exactly what, he couldn't say, but the Hyuuga was definitely not the most cheerful of companions at the moment. (Or, if truth be told, at any other moment either.)

"You've been away a long time. I certainly hope you spent that time better than you spent your years here," Neji's half-hidden stab at Naruto's ungainly start at ninja-hood made the blonde flinch. Then he grinned, rubbing the back of his head with one hand.

"If I didn't, I can name more than one person that'd be disappointed," Naruto laughed, wishing he could slug Neji in his stupid self-satisfied face. Neji raised an eyebrow, opening his mouth for what looked like a nasty reply. But Naruto never heard what that reply was, for at that moment-

"Naruto-kun!" Lee was waving from his perch, and it seemed he was not the only one to have just noticed the blonde's presence. Hinata gasped, whirled, spotted Naruto and went scarlet in the face all in the space of about three seconds. She was still breathing hard, and staggered backward against the log she had been pummeling, staring at the blue-eyed ninja in a mixture of embarrassment and surprise. Naruto pretended not to notice her blush and grinned them both.

"Good morning, Bushy-Brows," with a casual wave, Naruto stepped away from the Hyuuga male.

"Are you ready?" Rock Lee's voice was eager as he stretched a little, preparing himself for what was coming. Naruto chuckled, grateful for a reason to ignore Neji. The blonde glanced at Hinata, noting her unsteady stance and wide-eyed stare. With a grin, he shifted his gaze back to his soon-to-be opponent and nodded. Lee was grinning widely as well, ecstatic for no apparent reason as he hopped from foot to foot like an excited child.

"Guard yourself!" Without hesitation, Naruto fell into a familiar defensive stance, azure eyes shining. He would show Hinata how much stronger he'd gotten. For a moment, it looked like Lee wasn't going to move. Then, as quick as thought, he was gone. The blonde, still on the ground, blinked a couple times, remaining tense and listening intently for his opponent's position. He hadn't seen the black-haired man remove his weights—or was he even using them any more?

Without warning, Naruto twisted, closing his left hand around the fist that had barely missed his shoulder. At the other end of the arm to which the fist was attached, Lee's black eyes sparkled excitedly.

"Don't hold back, Naruto-kun," the tai-jutsu expert said excitedly, before he launched a series of strikes in quick succession, his movements swift and sure. Naruto soon found himself bewildered by the speed and power of his old friend's attacks. Punch, kick, double-kick, punch-punch, step back, flying kick, vanish from sight, punch again… the blonde found that every time he tried to strike back, he only just managed to block another attack. The blue-eyed man knew what he had to do—he had throw Lee off.

"_Do the unexpected,"_ an old man had once told him, "_everything around you is a weapon. Use it."_ Taking a deep breath, the orange-clad ninja closed his eyes and let his senses guide his defenses.

"_Slow your breathing, calm your heart, do the unexpected."_

Lee took the opening that Naruto offered him without a second thought. Truth be told, he was thoroughly impressed that his opponent had managed to block his attacks so far. Not many could anymore. Approaching with stealth and hastening his step, Lee launched himself into the air, aiming a devastating kick at Naruto's back as he flipped over his friend's head.

Naruto's eyes snapped open and he whirled, tearing his black and orange jacket off with surprising speed. He was still holding one sleeve as the coat _whooshed_ through the air and wrapped firmly around Lee's ankle. To the blonde, it seemed like everything was happening in slow motion. Stepping to the side, Naruto seized the other jacket-sleeve, now just a part of the tight-wrapped tangle around Lee's leg, and pulled, using the dark-haired ninja's momentum to send him crashing into the ground.

Both of them paused for an instant, grinning at each other. From that point on, everything that the two sparring partners did was a blur of speed and motion. Duck, punch, jump, kick, dodge leap whirl attack-

Hinata watched the two fight, biting her lower lip nervously. Silvery-lavender eyes darkened with anxiety as she watched the two men, though what she was nervous about had nothing to do the sparring match. She could feel Neji's hard, silver eyes on her and wished fervently that he wouldn't look at her like that. The raven-haired young woman knew what her cousin was thinking, and tried hard not to look at him, where she would see his thoughts clearly.

_'Just stop, Neji. I'm no longer my father's heir. Please give up.'_ Hinata felt her eyes drawn unwillingly to Neji's, and met his gaze. '_Otou-san won't forgive me for what happened. Please just let my sister inherit the leadership.'_ The memories of what had happened that day, so long ago, were tugging at her thoughts.

The kounichi closed her eyes and shivered despite the warmth of the sunlight on her skin. She didn't want to think about that. She didn't want to remember, not now. Not so soon after she and Naruto had finally found each other.

_Bright sunlight glistening off of clear water, a woman's smiling face…_

Hinata shook her head, eyes closed tight. No, not now.

_The sudden stiffening of the woman's body, her scared eyes as she turned to look at Hinata, sitting too far away…_

She was hugging herself, her back pressed hard against the log behind her, the wood digging into her spine painfully. No, it wasn't her fault, it wasn't! How was she supposed to know?

_Blades flashing through the air, hissing like snakes. Pushed out of the way, Hinata was trapped. Men in dark grey. Blood in the water, blood on the ground. The woman was still—what were they doing to her? Mother? Kaa-san?!_

Hinata was jolted out of her memories as a loud and unpleasant cracking sound filled her ears. She lifted her head and found that her entire body was as stiff as the wood at her back. The Hyuuga forced herself to relax, forced herself to focus. Naruto and Lee were standing still not too far from where she was.

The tai-jutsu master was breathing a little faster than normal, but grinning, a hand against Naruto's throat. With one hand dangling awkwardly at his side, the blonde was grinning as well, his other hand holding his friend's elbow in the perfect position to break it. Naruto laughed and took a step back, releasing the black-haired jounin with a slight bow.

"Alright, you win," he admitted his defeat cheerfully. Lee chuckled and glanced downward. Blue eyes followed his gaze, and saw that in his friend's free hand, Lee was holding one of Naruto's black kunai, glittering dangerously and angled upward at where his stomach had been. The whiskered male laughed again, smiling his admiration.

"You are a worthy opponent," Lee laughed, bowing in return as he handed the blade back to its owner. "Will your wrist be ok?" Naruto looked down at his limp right hand, his expression unconcerned as he lifted it.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. It looks like a clean break," he sounded nonchalant, though it had to hurt tremendously. Glancing at Hinata, the weather-beaten blonde grinned again. "How'd you like that, Hinata?"

Her heart was pounding, the terror that her memories had summoned still lingering in her mind. Struggling to control her swift and shallow breathing, she offered the blue-eyed man a smile.

"G-good job," she stammered. Inwardly, she winced. Stupid stutter! Stupid, stupid, stupid… Naruto frowned and took a step toward the woman, concern in his eyes. But before he could do much more than register that there was something wrong, Neji was by his cousin's side. Hinata flinched and met Neji's gaze squarely. He read fear in her eyes and let regret show in the set of his mouth as he touched her arm gently. He might not act like it, but he cared for her as deeply as if she were his sister. He knew what was troubling her.

"Hinata? Are you alright?" Naruto's voice sounded distant.

"Hinata-chan?" Lee's concern matched Naruto's, his frown distinct on his tanned face.

They could all see it now. Hinata wanted to run away from it all, run far away. But after what had happened yesterday, how could she? The ebony-haired kunoichi closed her eyes. She couldn't. Not now. But the strain was too much for her to handle. The woman's heart beat painfully fast in her chest, blood rushed like ocean surf in her ears, the attention of her friends, her love—Naruto, was focused on her. Hinata became aware of the familiar dizzy, black feeling starting to block her thoughts, and she gratefully gave in to the cool darkness of unconsciousness.

Though Neji was the closest, it was Naruto that caught Hinata as she fainted. Both arms wrapped around her warm, limp body and he picked her up bridal-style, ignoring the sharp pain in his wrist. He had seen the intense, unbelievably dark fear in the woman's eyes, but he was left confused and worried. Naruto glanced at the male Hyuuga, whose face was expressionless.

"Neji, what happened?" his tone was firm, but not accusatory. He wanted to know, but he didn't think that Neji was the cause. Silver eyes met blue in a hard, almost angry look, but Neji slowly shook his head.

"It's not my story to tell," and with that, the brown-haired ANBU operative took his cousin from Naruto and disappeared, taking her back to the Hyuuga complex. Naruto was left alone with Lee in the training ground, feeling at once very confused and angry. What right did Neji have to just steal Hinata away like that? Ok, he was her cousin, but still! He- he… Naruto growled aloud when he couldn't think of a good reason.

"Come on, Naruto-kun. Let's go to the hospital, and you can get your wrist fixed," the blonde wasn't really listening to Lee's words, but he followed his friend obediently. He hoped that he would be able to learn what had made Hinata panic, and soon.


	5. The Confrontation

Disclaimer:

Sadly, the characters in this story to not belong to me (with the exception of Rai and Kisume). Kishimoto-sama tortures me with not giving me the deed to these loverly characters. The plot is completely mine, though. No stealing.

**Chapter 5; Confrontation**

The ebony-haired kounichi came to herself slowly, piecing her senses together as she gradually regained consciousness.

_Throb… throb…_.

Her head ached. But she could feel no real pain. Beneath her, she felt something soft and warm- her bed? Over the rhythmic beating of her own heart, Hinata became aware of people moving about her and quiet voices.

"Are you sure it was just emotional stress?" a feminine voice. And young. Hanabi?

"Quite." Short, clipped, and worried. This voice had the timbre of a man's. Unmistakably Neji.

"Should we tell Otou-san?" Hanabi sounded anxious, as if she would rather leave the clan leader out of it. There was a pause as one of them placed a damp, cool clothe across her brow. It felt good.

"Lord Hiashi already knows," Neji said softly, his voice laden with regret and anxiety, "and he is waiting for her to awake. He will summon Lady Hinata as soon as she is fit to meet with him." There was another pause. Both of them knew Hiashi's opinion of his eldest daughter. He had already disinherited her for failing to complete her first A-rank mission. What awaited their sister (as both of them called her in private, despite tradition) was far from a fatherly embrace and a 'welcome home.' The black-haired woman forced her eyes open and winced at the bright light that filled her room. Her thoughts were still muddled and confused, but something in the back of her mind told her that it was important to wake up.

"Onee-chan?" A young voice again—it was Hanabi. As the world around her slid into focus, Hinata could see her younger sister kneeling beside her bed, "do you feel alright?" Knowing that the girl was worried about her (she always was) gave the lavender-eyed woman the strength to force a smile.

"I f-feel fine." Hanabi relaxed a little, a look of relief on her face.

"Hinata…" Neji's voice attracted her attention and she saw him standing just behind her little sister. Hinata pushed herself into a sitting position despite her sister's protest.

"Hanabi, I'm fine, really," she murmured, putting a hand on the girl's arm. At only fourteen, Hanabi was a little over-protective, but her care made Hinata feel loved. The woman had her gaze fixed on Neji's, soft lavender on bright silver/white.

"You need to show him…" before her cousin had even finished, the raven-haired woman was shaking her head.

"We both know nothing can be done." Hinata sighed. She longed with all her heart for her father to see her as he saw her sister and cousin- as a person worthy of notice and an asset to the clan. But…

"Hinata-hime. Hiashi-sama wishes to speak with you." One of her father's messengers was outside her door. The use of her title made Hinata uneasy. After all- she had already been disinherited. That title belonged to her sister now. Taking a deep breath, she answered with a steady voice.

"Thank you, Tenshi. I will be there shortly." The young woman heard the rustle of clothe as the messenger Tenshi rose to her feet and bowed, then her quick step as she padded away. Hanabi glanced at her sister curiously as she stood and swallowed hard before leaving the two behind and went to meet with her father. She had known her sister was acquainted well with the servants, but this was something else.

When Hinata reached the large room where her father held meetings, she bowed to the guards flanking the door. They both nodded and the door slid open as one of them pushed it lightly.

"The Lady Hinata is here to see you, my lord." Called the one on the left, a dark-haired male. The one on the right, a redheaded female, smiled encouragingly at Hinata. Hiashi's voice came from out of sight as a deep-toned, unsatisfied command.

"Enter." Hinata stepped over the threshold, feeling like she was a child once more. Being in her father's presence always made her feel small and weak.

Lord Hyuuga Hiashi sat on the cushioned dais, the very picture of a man in control. Only someone who knew him very well could see that he was angry. Hinata could. Legs folded under his well-muscled, middle-aged body were tense, like he was ready to spring to his feet. His hands, usually held loose and limp, were clenched in his lap. A vein pulsed in his neck, even while his face was relaxed and expressionless. Trembling only faintly, the clan leader's eldest daughter approached him on silent feet, kneeling before her father and respectfully bowing her head.

"Where have you been?" Hiashi's voice and gaze were seemingly expressionless, but the young woman could feel the anger in his cold, intense stare as surely as the killing intent from a desperate shinobi.

"I r-ran into an old f-friend, and lost track of t-time." She told him softly, inwardly cursing the fear that made her stutter. The clan head lifted one eyebrow questioningly, his mouth twitching ever so slightly downward.

"And what friend, my dear daughter, kept you from your home _all night_?" Hinata felt her mouth go dry and her heart start to speed its rhythmic beating slightly. She knew that their 'meeting' had just taken the worst turn possible.

"H-his name is Uzumaki N-N-Naruto, and he is a v-very d-dear f-friend of mine." Daring to glance up at her father, the ebony-haired kounichi shivered. The expression that he now wore was one of pure (and only thinly veiled) hatred and disgust.

"That Uzumaki whelp is filth. He is not fit to be a _servant_ for even the weakest of the Hyuuga family, let alone a shinobi." His mouth had twisted into an angry frown and Hinata shivered again, feeling as though the temperature of the room had just dropped ten degrees. His meaning was clear. She was weak, and Naruto wasn't worthy to lick Hiashi's shoes. "I forbid you to see him." She felt herself flinch, and knew as she raised her eyes to meet her father's gaze that he was aware of what the blonde meant to her. The cold fire of pure fury was bare in his bright white/silver eyes, and it was directed solely at her.

"He is a g-good man, and k-kind to me." She protested weakly, lowering her head again when it became clear that the powerful man before her would not let her forget her transgression soon.

"That _boy_," said Hiashi, in a calm, almost monotone voice, "is a demon puppet. You will obey me." That flat tone he used was one that set off warning bells in her head. Her father was dangerously close to losing his temper. But Hinata felt that if she did not defend Naruto, then she did not deserve his love any more than she deserved her father's.

"N-Naruto is a fine m-man, and worthy of f-far m-more than he receives!" whispered the still-kneeling woman, her head bowed and her eyes shut tight, "Otou-san, p-please-"

"I will hear no more of your insolence!" snapped Hiashi, his voice finally showing his overwhelming anger, "Leave me!" Hinata abruptly lifted her head, tears shining in her eyes as her entire body trembled violently.

"F-father, if y-you would j-just g-give him a ch-chance-" it seemed that she had finally crossed the line. Her father interrupted her with a loud and angry yell.

"Silence! Hinata, you have gone too far. This kind of disrespect will not be tolerated from a child of mine!"

"Otou-san…"

"You shall not call me that again. No longer are you my daughter." Hiashi stood in one fluid motion and fell into the juuken offensive stance. "Guard yourself. You have dishonored me for the last time." So great was Hinata's confusion and fear that she managed to stand only just in time to avoid her father's first attack. She had watched Hiashi train both her sister and cousin in this fashion—she knew precisely what he expected of her and what to do to fight back, even win. But everything inside her rebelled against the idea of fighting Hiashi. Hinata ducked his second blow, knocking aside a swift kick aimed at her abdomen. She was easily as fast as he was, but the woman was being pushed back, step by step as the furious attacks of the clan leader continued. Without encouragement, the man engaged his Byakugan, and the pace of his strikes increased. Hinata was struck with several hard hits that left her chakra network burning with the strain of blocked pathways, but her instincts and training helped her deflect far more of the man's angry blows than landed. She panted as she defended herself, tears trickling down her cheeks.

"I need no weakling daughter." Hiashi intoned in an enraged snarl between strikes. Hinata was hard-put to predict and defend against attacks that she could no longer see through her own tears.

Suddenly, a sharp and agonizingly familiar pain lanced through her chest. Hinata felt her heart seize as something snapped, and her light body was thrown backward. Coughing, the woman fell, blood pouring into her lungs.

_I failed you, Father. I'm… sorry._

Earlier that day…

Naruto was dazed and lost in thought as Lee lead him into the sparklingly clean hospital. He remained silent, barely noticing as his friend explained the nature of his injury and how he'd received it. The receptionist rolled her eyes and directed them upstairs, telling Naruto to wait in the second office to the left. The blonde followed his friend up the stairs and into the room, vaguely hearing Lee say something about "lunch", "training", and "thank you." In fact, he was so lost in his own plans to ask Hinata about what had happened that it was several moments before he realized that his spandex-clad sparring partner was gone. Naruto made a faint noise of surprise, then promptly returned to staring at nothing in particular as he tried to fathom what had scared Hinata.

_It couldn't have been the fight… Hinata's seen people spar before. Maybe… Neji seemed to know something about it. What was it he said…?_

"Naruto."

'_It's not my story to tell.' So I guess I'll __have__ to ask Hinata._

"Naruto- are you awake?"

_But what would I say? Maybe it's a family thing. If Neji knows about it. It's probably something to do with her past…_.

"Naruto!"

_Then again, maybe something happened after I left…_. Something hard and decidedly angry hit Naruto over the head, jolting him out of his thoughts. Blinking away the stars in front of his eyes, the blonde registered the presence of a tall, busty woman with long blond hair, wielding a chair with a head-shaped dent in the center of the metal seat. Shaking his head to clear it, he felt his face splitting into his familiar grin.

"Oi, Tsunade-baa-chan!" Tsunade set down the chair with a scowl, glowering Konoha's 'number-one hyper-active knuckle-headed ninja' fiercely.

"I thought I told you not to call me that," grumbled the Fifth Hokage, still glaring at the young man before her. Naruto just grinned wider. He knew as well as she did that she would no more inflict serious harm on him than on her own flesh and blood. He, however, didn't know the true reasoning behind this, and she wasn't about to explain.

"Ah, but you know you'll always be my obaa-san." The spiky-haired blonde chuckled. The Lady Hokage sighed. He was as bad as Jaraiya—though _he_ had paid dearly for his years of "flat-chested" remarks.

"Naruto, could you be serious for two seconds?" she asked irritably, frowning at him as she reached for his broken wrist, "this is important and you need to pay attention." The male's smile faded and his blue eyes lost their laughing sparkle.

"What is it?" Tsunade blinked at his reaction, careful not to show her surprise. Instead, she took a hold of this injured hand and jerked it toward herself. The man winced, but didn't make any noise, merely brushing his longish bangs out of his eyes with his free hand.

"While you were away," the kounichi started, her golden eyes fixed on his wrist as she manipulated the bone with none-too-gentle fingers, "our intelligence in the Land of Earth blinked out, right after a report was received about an armed uprising in the south." The blue-eyed shinobi watched her, listening intently and ignoring the pain she was causing in his wrist. "Naturally, I sent team Kurenai to gather information." The woman received a thoughtful nod. Hinata's team was skilled at recon, and it made sense.

"They returned with one member incapacitated and a report that I would have rather not heard. The Sound ninja helped incite a military coup, and have successfully overthrown Lord Roicha. It seems they have also recruited the Tsuchikage and his village, and only a few have rebelled." At this, Naruto's face grew dark. He resisted the urge to ask which member of team Kurenai had been injured and forced his thoughts to plow ahead.

"Without Lord Roicha in command of the Earth Country's armies and ninja, the Sound ninja have control over the largest concentration of fighters in the five villages," he muttered, frowning slightly. He had heard of a disturbance in the balance of power when it occurred, but had been too caught up in training when it occurred to take notice. "There is the danger of invasion- not to mention the complete annihilation of the smaller countries." Tsunade nodded, her hands glowing faintly green as she worked on his wrist.

"That would be my concern," she nodded to herself and lifted her golden gaze to the boy- no, the man in front of her. He had matured since he had left. "I sent Gai and Iruka to retrieve a scroll from one of our spies in the Waterfall Country, and they have yet to return. Both of them have been missing for a month now." She saw Naruto stiffen with suppressed anger and knew she had touched on a subject that was close to home for him. Iruka had been his sensei for years. "That's why I need you and the rest of your class to go on a mission. As soon as the others return, you will depart for Sunagakure." Naruto nodded, flexing his wrist absently.

"Hai, Hokage-sama," he murmured, his expression grim. After a long moment, he shook his head slightly, his face clearing as he pushed those thoughts from his mind. There was nothing he could do about it now… looking up, he found Tsunade staring at him incredulously.

"What?" his tone was confused as he leaned back a little. The woman frowned, her gaze not wavering as she continued to stare at him.

"Who are you and what have you done with Naruto?" she asked softly, only half joking. "Respect was never a thing you directed toward me." Naruto grinned, sitting up straight again and pulling the old crystal pendant out of his shirt.

"It took me a while to understand your 'gift'," he smiled slightly, and Tsunade felt her shock fading into a kind of awed respect, "but a perverted old man told me a story to help me work it out." The Fifth Hokage turned away, folding her hands tightly to stop them from trembling. Jaraiya. It still hurt to think about him. So many years together, and she had never acknowledged his affection…. Amazingly (or perhaps not so, considering what he had just said) Naruto seemed to understand that she needed a moment. He busied himself, stowing the necklace away and slipping into hid old black and orange jacket, which he appeared to have taken off without noticing earlier.

"You have five days. Prepare." Tsunade's voice was steady, but she didn't turn to face him. With her work done, the woman started to leave.

"Um, Tsunade-baa-chan?" she turned her head, fixing him with one gold eye. Naruto fidgeted.

"Yes?" looking particularly distracted, the man didn't meet her gaze. He wanted to ask her about Hinata, but changed his mind at the last moment.

"Uh… er… well… never mind." The woman shrugged, long blonde hair swaying as she walked into the hall and out of sight. Naruto sighed. He would just have to ask her himself.

"Oh, and Naruto?" he jumped when Tsunade stuck her head back around the doorframe. "I'll need a written report on you training. Detailed- don't leave anything out. On my desk by tomorrow morning." Naruto groaned and Tsunade grinned wickedly. She had her ways of getting back at people. Dreading the coming paperwork, the young shinobi turned and exited through the window before the 'old lady' could give him anything else to think about.


	6. A Torn Heart

Disclaimer:

I don't own Naruto (goodness knows I wish I did…) but that aside, all credit goes to Masashi Kishimoto for the characters. With the exception of Rai and Kisume, none of these characters belong to me. Sad day, I know… LET THE FANDOM LIVE!!!

**Chapter 6; A Torn Heart**

Hinata hit the floor hard and immediately rolled onto her side, coughing up blood as she struggled to breath. Fire rippled along her nerves with each strained beat of her injured heart. The world seemed to whirl dizzyingly about her as the woman gasped for air, only to cough again, hot salty blood spilling between her lips. Hiashi straightened, a look of disdain on his face.

"Kisume, Rai." The two guards slid the door open and stepped inside, their faces displaying only a flicker of surprise before they snapped to attention, saluting their leader.

"Hai," they chorused in true military style. The female, Kisume, let her eyes drop to the shuddering form of Hinata on the floor, her expression remaining carefully blank.

"Take this _girl_ to her quarters in the Side Branch building." The clan head didn't even give his daughter the simple privilege of the title 'woman'. Having stripped her of every honor, Hinata's only asset in his eyes was that she might yet bear Hyuuga children.

"Hai." Again, the two guards answered in unison, saluting swiftly before stowing their spears in the holders slung individually across their backs. As a team, Kisume and Rai lifted Hinata off the floor. The door slid shut behind them and it was only a matter of seconds before Rai was cradling the former Hyuuga heir's violently shaking body against his chest. The two exchanged glances and nodded. They knew what had to be done. Following Hiashi's orders, Rai carried Hinata toward her bedroom. On the other hand, Kisume bolted off in the opposite direction, going to fetch a healer.

When Rai shoved the door open, Neji leapt to his feet, silver eyes wide. Hinata was still as the guard laid her gently on the bed; her coughing had subsided for the moment. The tan and pink jacket she'd slipped into on the way out the door was now spattered with dark blood, but her face was deathly pale. Neji hovered over his cousin, the blood draining swiftly from his face. He had seen the woman in this condition only once before, immediately after their match during the chuunin exams, nearly six years ago. He couldn't believe that Hiashi would go that far. Hinata's breathing was shallow and slow, and he could see the gentle pulse of her weakened heart in the woman's throat. The healer rushed into the room, and Kisume pulled Rai back, both of them retreating to stand outside the door, pale with fear but composed. Neji bit his lip as the man passed his hands over Hinata's still body. After a moment, the brunette healer sighed.

"Help me remove her coat." He told Neji softly. With a nod, Neji positioned himself at Hinata's head and supported her back as the healer gently removed the coat. The old jacket was heavily patched and now permanently stained with dark blood—the man tossed it aside as soon as it was clear of her arms.

The short sleeves of her tan tee shirt bared her arms, and the numerous red marks pinpointing the chakra points that Hiashi had hit. Gingerly, the healer pulled the neck of her shirt down, exposing the almost purple charka points across her collarbone and a brilliant scarlet-and-indigo bruise that colored the skin over her shattered breastbone. The brunette frowned, pushing his short, damp hair out of his eyes before caressing the livid bruise with gentle fingers. Even that slight contact made Hinata tense, sucking in a sharp breathe unconsciously. Almost instantaneously, she began to cough again, flecks of blood spattering across her lips. Neji gripped his cousin's hand and felt her trembling.

Prying her eyes open, Hinata forced herself to speak as her gaze landed on the blurred form of her cousin. Her expression was pained, but more because she thought she had failed than because she was injured.

"N-Neji-onii-sama…" she whispered, wincing with every shallow breath she took, "I'm s-sorry." The raven-haired woman closed her eyes again, trying desperately to regulate her breathing so it didn't hurt so much. Neji bit his lip hard. Hinata deserved so much better than what she constantly received. The healer withdrew his hand and shook his head slightly.

"There's only so much I can do without the proper equipment," he confessed unhappily, turning his dark grey eyes to Neji apologetically. "It looks like her breastbone has been shattered into at least five pieces, and most of her chakra network isn't functioning. Her heart is weakened—I'm not sure if I have the expertise to heal her."

"Do what you can," urged the young man. With a nod, the healer reached out and tapped Hinata firmly between the eyes, using a simple ninjutsu to send her to sleep. The former Hyuuga heir relaxed completely, her expression clearing.

"Could you, within reason, summon Lady Hanabi?" Neji spoke softly, his eyes worried. Outside the room, the hall was quiet. The healer inside Hinata's room was making very little noise, but the feeling of tension was almost palpable. Kisume and Rai glanced at each other again and nodded, as they had before. As usual, they knew what had to be done. Having stuck around for over half an hour, they had overshot their orders.

"I will find Lady Hanabi," said Kisume confidently.

"And I will return to Lord Hiashi," finished Rai with a faint smile. Neji sighed and looked at the two of them gratefully. Rai and Kisume each gave him a salute and rushed off, once more parting ways.

Hanabi finished her attack, and the "enemy" (a rush-mat dummy) fell to pieces behind her. Her sensei, Hyuuga Tamaki, smiled as he stepped forward.

"Excellent work, Hanabi. Although, maybe if you shift your stance here…" the man demonstrated, moving slowly for his pupil's benefit, "and move your attack upward rather than forward, you'll find its more efficient." The girl nodded distractedly, staring at the dummy with her thoughts very far away,

"Hanabi-hime!" Hanabi heard the call and turned swiftly, silver eyes flashing. Kisume came into view at a dead run and skidded to a halt, bowing swiftly to the Hyuuga heir as she steadied her breathing.

"Speak." Except for her ink-hued hair, Hanabi looked just like her father in that moment, having erased all expression from her face. Kisume glanced back the way she had come.

"It's your sister. Neji-san sent me to take you to her." It took less than half a second for Hanabi's face to take on a look of fear, bordering on panic. It was obvious that the girl assumed the worst.

"Tamaki-sensei, I request a break. Perhaps we can continue later, but something urgent has come up." Her tone was soft, but the urgency of her message was conveyed nonetheless. The man nodded, looking puzzled but understanding. He had clearly not listened to Kisume's message.

"Of course, Hanabi-hime." With a grateful smile, Hanabi turned back to Kisume. The light manner of a leader was in her as she spoke, her actions and voice steady even as fear roared within her.

"Where is she?" the young girl's question was soft, and the female guard's expression was grave.

"She's been moved to the infirmary, my lady." The girl drew in a sharp breath and her look of concern intensified.

"Lead the way." Kisume nodded and together, the two of them took off through the courtyard, taking the outdoor route to the infirmary at a sprint.


	7. The Untold Story

Disclaimer:

I still don't own Naruto, no matter how much I'd like to. All credit goes to Masashi Kishimoto and his genius-ness. But don't worry, I've laid out an elaborate plan to steal the rights to Naruto! I have a rope, grappling hook, a cool ninja-outfit, a sidekick, and a dish of nachos.

**Chapter 7; The Untold Story**

Naruto paused, his breath coming in shallow, ragged gulps as he scanned the trees for his opponent. The cut on his arm stung, but he pushed the distracting pain aside with relative ease. With a kunai in one hand and the other behind him as he backed up, the blonde touched the rough bark of the old tree before leaning against it.

_Where did she go? She couldn't have just vanished._ Trying to clear his mind, the young man licked his lips, azure eyes flickering from side to side. The bold black whisker-marks scored his cheeks were ragged and dark, even against his flushed skin.

_I'm not getting anywhere with this...._ Silently growling to himself, Naruto formed a single handsign. In a cloud of smoke and after several odd popping sounds, five exact copies of the young ninja stood around him. With a nod, the orange-clad shinobi sent his shadow-clones into the surrounding trees in search of the dangerous kounichi. With a sigh, he leaned back against the tree, his ears attuned to his surroundings. This kind of tension wasn't great for the nerves, even if it was a good way to keep his mind off of things. Man, what he wouldn't do for a nice, steaming-hot bowl of Ichiraku's ramen right now....

His watering mouth suddenly found itself full of a large and rather sharp shuriken. Naruto blinked into the dark eyes of the female ninja before he grinned around the weapon between his teeth. A cloud of smoke appeared with a faint 'poof,' and the blonde woman turned away with a scowl. Ino scanned the undergrowth with her back to the tree and the quickly vanishing cloud of smoke. She could get shadow-clone after shadow-clone and never get any closer to pinning Naruto. They'd been at it for eight hours now. It was good training and all, but it was so frustrating to be foiled every time by Naruto's clones. Back in that clearing, she'd managed to hit the real one…. Ino stiffened as someone pulled her long, pale blonde ponytail gently. Cold metal touched her neck and she swallowed hard, reaching into her kunai-pouch. Her hand met his free one, and he gripped her wrist in an iron hold, twisting it so she was immobilized. Naruto chuckled, sounding pleased with himself.

"Looks like I win," he released her, and Ino turned to look at him, incredulity in her eyes. His upper lip and tongue were still bleeding from where she'd shoved her shuriken into his mouth.

"But… how?" Ino protested, frowning now. Naruto laughed and pulled a small capsule from his left thigh-pouch. Smoke-screen.

"Ninja rule #1: Deception," he grinned at her and the woman just shook her blonde head.

"When did you get so smart?" her tone was vaguely whiny, but she was smiling appreciatively. Together, the two ninja made their way out of the training grounds. Walking behind his old classmate, Naruto took a good look at Ino.

She was slightly shorter than he was, maybe by a quarter of an inch. Dressed in tight khaki pants, _zori_ and a black coat with fur lining in the hood – it reminded him of the coat that Kiba wore – she cut a rather impressive feminine figure. Her hair was still platinum-blonde, worn in the same long ponytail as ever. What had changed about Ino was her manner. When Naruto had finally become desperate enough to go to her for companionship, he had asked if she wanted to train with him. Instead of rolling her eyes and making some kind of scathing remark, as she would have years before, Ino had smiled broadly from behind the bar where she worked part-time and accepted his offer, commenting on hearing rumors that he was back.

"_Why didn't you come visit me sooner, you great lump?"_ she had asked him affectionately. Naruto had worked through his befuddlement to answer that he had been distracted. It had been true, but if only it were that simple. He hadn't seen Hinata since she'd fainted after his sparring match with Lee. The young man was still wondering what it was that had made her panic. Had he scared her somehow? Was she avoiding him? As his thoughts turned to the dark-haired woman, his gait slowed. What was he missing? There was a piece absent from this increasingly complicated and worrisome puzzle.

"… hungry. What about you?" Ino was talking (big surprise there), and Naruto nodded, trying to look attentive.

"Yeah, sure," at his answer, the woman rounded on him, her smile triumphant as she forced him to stop a couple yards short of the gate.

"I knew it! You weren't listening!" she crowed. The male blinked, staring at his companion uncertainly and running his fingers through his spiky blonde hair.

"Uh… huh?" _Is this an accomplishment?_ He was thoroughly confused as Ino grinned at him.

"I said, 'I'm not really hungry,' and you agreed with me. Naruto, you're _always_ hungry," her smiled softened slightly as she tilted her head at him, "what's up? Is something wrong?" The blue-eyed man sighed. Something about being trained for observation made friends oddly astute and very hard to lie to.

"It's nothing to do with you, Ino. Don't worry about it," putting a hand on her shoulder, he smiled and made his way toward the gate again, letting his arm go limp as he passed her.

"Oh, come on, Naruto!" _Then again,_ thought the blonde male absently, _maybe she hasn't really changed after all._ She was still really nosey. With a slightly frustrated sigh, Naruto turned. This time, he was forcing her to stop, and Ino blink at him, looking chagrined.

"Listen, Ino. Thanks for caring, but I really just need to deal with this one on my own," his tone was stern, but not mean. It seemed to get the message across. Ino let the subject drop. In the streets of Konoha, the two parted, Ino waving cheerfully and trotting away, back toward the bar that she had left in the care of the owner.

_Hinata…_ Naruto wanted to talk to someone, but who could he trust? He'd been gone so long – he didn't know who would still be willing to listen. A thought struck him and the blonde grinned widely. He'd only spoken to the man once, briefly in Ichiraku's when he'd been in for lunch. But it had been a short conversation, as Naruto had been ordered on a mission. But now they had a chance to really talk. Not that Kakashi-sensei ever did much of the actual talking....

***

Lounging on the sun-warmed roof of an apartment complex near the edge of town, a man with spiky silver hair was reading. Jaraiya's latest novel, Icha Icha Frenzy, was in his hand, and his masked face was nearly plastered to the page. The man apparently thought that Jaraiya had literary genius matched only by the steamy nature of his passionate stories. Suddenly, the faint prickling feeling of being watched brought Hatake Kakashi out of his enthralled reading. The feeling of 'I'm not alone' made the jounin lift his head to scan the surrounding rooftops. Nothing.

There was no change in the temperature of the air to mark the presence of another person. Kakashi's one visible eye narrowed. The prickling sensation at the back of his neck was stronger now – someone was definitely watching him. But he could sense no trace of chakra, no feeling of the aura most ninja carried with them. And still no sign of anyone on the roofs with him….

"Oi! Sensei!" the loud greeting from behind him made Kakashi lurch to his feet and whirl on the intruder. The book in his hand vanished, replaced by a sharp black kunai. Naruto flashed a smile at his old sensei, his pronounced canines glinting wickedly in the bright autumn sunlight, looking completely unperturbed by the knife at his throat.

Kakashi relaxed slightly, but didn't put his weapon away yet, looking over Naruto carefully. If it weren't for being able to see him, the jounin wouldn't have known his old student was standing in front of him. The silver-haired man's other senses were telling him stubbornly that there was no one standing in front of him. The air did not warm up around his body like it ought to, there was none of the chakra-leak around him to suggest he had as much as a beating heart, and except for the loud greeting, he had not heard the blonde's approach.

"Hello Naruto," Kakashi stowed the kunai away, but was still wary. A clone, maybe? It seemed the only logical solution – but why wouldn't Naruto use his kage-bunshin technique? And since when could Naruto even make a normal clone anyway? The young man grinned. He could see that his sensei was thrown off, though the jounin was doing a remarkable job of hiding it.

"Surprised you, didn't I?" he asked, still grinning broadly.

"No," Kakashi sat down, pulling the book out of his scroll pouch and beginning to read again. Naruto crouched beside him, tilting his head slightly.

"Are you sure?" Before he had even finished his question, the silver-haired man's hand shot out and grasped the blonde's shoulder in a surprisingly strong vice-like grip, twisting suddenly. Naruto let out an 'oof' as the wind was knocked out of his lungs, his back aching. Kakashi glanced up from his book to look at his former student, now lying on his back.

"Yes," there was a curious look in the jounin's one visible eye. Not a clone then? Not either shadow or basic brand, and definitely none of the elements. Lowering his book slightly, he extended a hand to Naruto to help him up. With a faint laugh, the blonde took it and stood.

"Still wondering how I managed to sneak up on you?" Kakashi blinked, gazing down at the hand he was holding. It was cool. No… it was more than cool. It was exactly air-temperature. Intrigued, Kakashi looking up into Naruto's face. He was grinning, as usual.

"Vaguely," Kakashi affirmed, his tone flat but his eye sparkling with interest. With a nudge, the jounin pushed his headband up, inspecting Naruto through the Sharingan. As it always did when he used both eyes, his mind received a double-image. What he saw was like a picture, with a second image on transparency over it. Underneath was Naruto as his normal, grinning, orange-clad self. It was the second layer that interested the man.

Naruto's body glowed faintly with a thin layer of chakra, hovering just underneath his skin. The realization of just what the blonde was doing nearly staggered the jounin.

_He's regulating his skin temperature by using nothing but his chakra._ Naruto seemed to know what his old teacher was thinking. He chuckled and released the technique with a single, short gesture.

"It comes in handy in the desert when I want to keep cool, but it's not perfected yet," he sounded and looked very satisfied and proud of himself. What was more amazing was what Kakashi noticed immediately afterward. The blonde's chakra network wasn't behaving normally. A huge concentration of chakra was settled in a little swirling ball in his stomach, right behind where the spiral-shaped seal was. It pulsed regularly, in time to his heartbeat, sending out little waves of energy along his mostly inactive chakra pathways. Just enough to keep the pathways themselves open and his body functioning normally, and nothing more than that.

_Oh, Kami-sama._ Kakashi was stunned by the implications of what he was seeing. _He's consciously controlling his chakra network. I didn't think control to that extent was even possible._ Shaking his head slightly, the silver-haired jounin returned his headband to its former position. Again, he saw the familiar goofy grin and blue eyes sparkling with laughter. It was hard to believe that he had become so strong….

"Who's been training you?" asked the blonde's old sensei, a smile in his voice as he spoke.

The young man shrugged with a smile, shifting his position so he wasn't directly facing his old teacher.

"Oh, someone you might like if you ever meet her," his gaze turned inward and his smile faded slightly, "but that's not why I'm here. I came to talk to you, Sensei." Kakashi saw the change in the young man's expression and blinked slowly, his gaze steady. Naruto knew that the silver-haired man was listening and smiled gratefully. Without waiting for his nerves to catch up with him, the genin launched into his story, telling how he had returned to Konoha and saved Hinata. He skimmed over the events of that night, purposefully avoiding Kakashi's curious gaze. There was a hot flush on his cheeks as he plowed onward, telling about the attack by the river, and Sakura healing them both. Pacing agitatedly, he told his old sensei about the next morning, his sparring match with Lee and Hinata's apparent terror. When he finished his tale, Naruto looked pleadingly at Kakashi.

"So now I haven't seen her in two days. I don't know where she is, or what happened. Neji won't tell me anything and Lee seems just as clueless as I am," with a frustrated sigh, the blonde sat heavily. "I don't know what to do, and I'm afraid she's avoiding me." Kakashi stayed silent, still standing as he had been for the entire story. His one eye was closed, his arms crossed over his chest and his head bowed in thought.

"It seems that the Hyuuga girl means quite a bit to you," the jounin's tone was again flat, but not emotionless. Naruto flushed, but nodded slightly. The older man was silent for a long moment, then ran a hand through his spiky silver hair. "Stay cautious, Naruto. It may be something that you need to take care of," he held up a hand as the blonde opened his mouth, eyes wide, "but be sure of the facts before you do anything. I can't really tell you anything concrete, but I'll look into it if I can." Kakashi suddenly found himself in a crushing bear-hug.

"Thank you! Thank you, Sensei!" a relieved smile on his whiskered face, Naruto released the older ninja. Now that he had a direction and some back up, he seemed more relaxed and confident. Kakashi chuckled slightly and sat down once more, returning his attention to his book. The young man took the hint, bid him farewell and left to train some more.

_Silly kid. Sometimes I wonder if he'll ever actually change...._


	8. A Complex Fate

Disclaimer:

I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters thereof. I do, however, own Rai, Kisume, and Luna. I will add more characters to this repertoire as we go one, but as of yet, they are my only OC's.

**Chapter 8; A Complex Fate**

"Oi, Hinata!" there was a voice in the empty darkness, coming from the distant, dim light.  
"Hinata-chan!" after a long moment, she tried to stir. It was hard, and every little thing hurt. Veins and nerves alike burned like molten metal and everything throbbed and ached in turns, pushing her consciousness further toward wakefulness.  
"Onee-chan!" a faint groan escaped her lips as the raven-haired opened her eyes slowly. The light stung her eyes, even though it wasn't very bright.  
"Naruto…-kun?" Hinata whispered, trying hard to bring the vague shapes around her into focus. The room around her was dim, and everything was swaying from fuzzy to blurry to clear and back again as she blinked several times. Fire rippled along her nerves, around her eyes especially, because that was the only part of her that was actively working at the moment. At first, all she saw was blank white—or was it pale green? Memory fought with reality as Hinata tried to figure out where she was. Hospital rooms were white, but her eyes insisted that they saw green in the dim light.

After a long moment, it dawned on her where she must be. But that couldn't be right! She tried to sit up, to convince herself that she must wrong. Her father wouldn't – a sensation something akin to being shot and having lightning strike her chest simultaneously hit her hard. With a faint moan, Hinata slumped back the bare two inches that she had managed to raise herself up and went utterly limp. Gradually, her other senses became more aware of her surroundings, feeding her information as her mind grew more awake and able to handle their messages. The slow but unsteady beeping of a heart monitor reached her ears, positioned somewhere out of sight to her left. At the same time, the summer-scent of cedar wood reached her sensitive nose.  
Cedar? That means… the infirmary? The thought was sluggish, but she could sense the panic that it brought with it. The memories of her "meeting" with Hiashi beat at her now-functioning mind like a battering-ram and tears pricked the corners of her lavender eyes as she struggled to sit up again. Was it the pain or the memories that made her feel like she was about to cry. The heart monitor beside her went absolutely insane, beeping madly as Hinata finally managed to push herself into a sitting position. She was sweating, crying, shaking, panting….  
The door burst open and the fluorescent lights on the ceiling buzzed into life. Hinata let out a cry of pain and screwed her eyes shut against the light. Sensations flooded her mind for a moment, she was sure if she would pass out again or not.  
"Hinata! O, Kami-sama... Luna, she's awake!" A voice... male... Naruto? The raven-haired woman pried her eyes open, gazing through the bright light at blurred images around her. The door creaked open again and clicked shut, signaling the presence of another person. As the dark blurs solidified, Hinata recognized her cousin Neji as the one closest to her, peering worriedly down at her. His silvery-white eyes were full of concern for her, but his posture was calm, his shoulders relaxed and his hands steady. Training had made him into a man that showed his emotions only when he could not control them. The second figure was not quite so familiar.

She was a small thing, short even by Hinata's standards. She wore the badge of a medic, though there was no hitai-ate in evidence on her person. Luna, as Neji had called her, was smiling nervously at Hinata now, her silver eyes glimmering in the fluorescent light as her cool hands touched the injured woman's wrist, checking her pulse and temperature.  
"Do not be alarmed, Neji-sama," Luna's voice was strong and cool, but respectful as she spoke to her superior, "she is alright." Hinata continued to gaze at her, understanding dawning in her pain-drugged mind. The medic's hair was black, like Hiashi's, but it had a definite red tint to it. In addition, Luna's pale forehead was bare, betraying the dark caged-bird seal to the light.  
She is one of the lower Side Branch daughters... the ones that Otou-san... Her lavender eyes found the floor again. Hinata couldn't even bring herself to think the word. Rejected. That was what her father had done. Luna was obviously one of the few clan-members that had mixed Hyuuga blood, sharing in their powerful Kekkei Genkai. But she had the blood of another clan running in her veins, and thus she was not "a true Hyuuga." But the Medic's skillful hands were brushing pressure-points on Hinata's shoulders and neck, dimming the pain and letting her think clearly.  
"Thank you, Luna-san," murmured Hinata, as the feeling of being pummeled by electricity from the inside out faded. Luna averted her eyes, looking faintly embarrassed.  
"No need to thank me, Hinata-hime. I am glad to serve." Those words hit the kounichi hard. Hime? Serve? Before she could stop herself, the woman was protesting.  
"Please, don't call me that anymore. That title belongs to Hanabi-sama," her lavender eyes were downcast now, but Luna stiffened slightly. It seemed that hearing her raven-haired patient refer to her younger sister with such respect was a surprise to the medic.

"There is not a single member of the Side Branch that believes that you do not deserve that title," Luna informed her patient, eyes blazing. Neji stared at the medic, caught completely off-guard by this bold statement. From a half-breed, no less? The male corrected his thoughts immediately. Luna was more than just a half-Hyuuga woman. She was one of the most skilled medics in the household, and she had never eve received training as a ninja. Hiashi thought her a failure, but most of the Hyuuga nin knew differently. Neji listened to the two women, suppressing his own outburst at Hinata's reply.  
"I do not deserve it. My fath-- Hiashi-sama... has removed me from that position." Hinata's voice was soft, a faint note of defeat working its way through the superficial levity that flavored her tone.  
"You deserve that title more than anyone I've ever known," stated Luna bluntly, her smile becoming less nervous. The woman, whose red/black hair swung gently as she stood, looked somehow pleased yet disappointed at the same time.  
"Why do you think so?" Hinata asked softly, her lavender eyes met her cousin's, and Neji knew what she was thinking. Why were there people that believed in her... when she had failed? The man shook his brown head, frowning at her. It was as good as asking her, 'why do you doubt me?' Hinata blushed faintly, looking ashamed.  
"Why do I think so?" Luna sent her patient an odd look as she adjusted the IV on her arm. "I suppose I think so for the same reason everyone else does. You act just like your mother did. She never stopped believing in us, and neither have you." Neji remained silent as he watched the medic. She was, in reality, older than either of them. Luna had studied under Hinata's mother as a teen before she had died. Hinata's eyes were cloudy now, though whether with the pain of the memories or with confusion, it was hard to tell. The former Hyuuga heir looked away, choosing to gaze at her hands, folded now over her blankets.

_My mother? Do I really act like her?_ A flash of memory seared her mind, but she gave no hint of it. She remembered the entire incident with painful clarity, but just remembering would do her no good. Her mother was dead, and Hiashi would never forgive her for it. When Hinata looked up again, Luna was finishing her work. She looked satisfied that her patient was stable, and glanced at Neji, bowing respectfully to the both of them.

"If you need me, Hinata-hime, just call," she murmured with a smile, then exited the room, letting the door sit partly open behind her. Neji nodded slightly and touched Hinata's hand.

"I'll be back in a moment," he told his cousin with an encouraging smile. The dark woman looked thoughtful, but not on the verge of tears like she had been before. She would be ok for a minute or two alone. Swiftly, Neji followed Luna, finding her just outside the door. He closed it with a click, and Luna gazed at him with steady silver eyes.

"Will she be ok?" the man's concern for his cousin was palpable in his voice as he bit his lip. Luna shrugged, her expression flat and no longer smiling.

"She will recover," before Neji could let out the breath that he'd been holding, the medic plowed onward, "but it's questionable whether or not the recovery will be a complete one," Luna sighed, looking frustrated. "If Hiashi-sama would simply let us move her to the hospital, there would be a far higher chance of her full recovery." The statement was one of helpless anger. There was something that _could_ be done, but they were barred from doing it. Luna and her medical staff were helpless in the face of something that they had neither the training, nor the equipment to handle.

"But Lord Hiashi wishes us to keep Hinata's injuries hidden from the village," Neji interjected bitterly, his expression sour with guilt. Here, the two could speak freely, for there were no surveillance devices in the infirmary. "He knows that the Hokage would protest the act of attacking his own daughter, and he feels that he should have absolute rule in his own house." Luna nodded, understanding Neji's frustration. He was part of the ANBU, so close to the Hokage, and yet he was forbidden to report to her.

"I will see what I can do," the medic intoned, touching Neji's arm gently. With that, she turned and padded down the hall. She had other patients to see to. But her words left Neji a little more confident. If Luna said she would, then he trusted her. With a faint sigh, the brown-haired man opened the door again. Hinata was still on the bed, sitting up with her eyes closed, relining on the pillows. But she was awake. She lifted her head when he entered, calling his name softly, questioningly. Neji regretted that he had to do this, but it was his duty. Shutting the door, he prepared to tell the injured Hinata about the mission that they had both been assigned to.

"I'll have to leave in two days...."

PS

I'm sorry this chapter is so short, but this was a bit that needed to be covered before I went on. So, I decided that it should have a chapter of its own! Fear my cliffhangers of DOOM! FEAR!!!


	9. A New Mission

Disclaimer:

I do not own Naruto, Hinata, Neji, Ino, or any of the others. *is trying to get the Doberman off of her arm* My attempt to steal them didn't work out as planned. So, it's back to square one. *puts steak on black eye* Misashi Kishimoto gets all the credit for his characters. Ayame, Kisume and Luna belong to me though. You can't steal them.

Chapter 9; A New Mission

Naruto stopped for a moment, scanning the faces on the street below one more time. The shadow of the Hokage's tower inched across the rooftops away from the hills as the sun gradually rose toward its zenith. The sunrise was but ten minutes gone, and already the street was busy with the venders and their goods. The blonde eventually relaxed and sighed unhappily. There was still no sign of the indigo hair and lavender eyes that he so longed to see again. He hadn't seen her in almost four days now, and he was worried. But now there was a mission to attend to, and he didn't have any more time to spend on looking for her. Was she avoiding him? Or maybe he had scared her off? Neji seemed to know something, but he wasn't telling. With a shake of his spiky blonde head, Naruto continued across the roofs, entering the enormous shadow and approaching the base of the Hokage's tower swiftly. Today he would set off for Sunagakure. To see Gaara again would be nice. With that cheering thought, the blonde launched himself into the air, using his formidable chakra to latch onto the tower's smooth side, then race up it with ease. There was a time when he had struggled with even this simple task.

He ran straight up until he found the window that he was searching for. The one that opened into the waiting room adjacent to the Hokage's office. Naruto slipped quietly over the sill, and noted three pairs of alert eyes found his face as he straightened. Sakura was by the door, and after a glance at him, she turned to continue peering agitatedly down the hall. Shikamaru wasn't far from where she stood, leaning against the wall and looking half asleep- but his dark eyes were never still under his half-closed eyelids. Ino was the closest, and she grinned at him, looking far too awake to have woken up recently.

"Hey Naruto!" Ino was the only one to greet him audibly. He let a smile show in his eyes, and he nodded slightly.

"Good morning," he said cheerily. The Yamanaka woman looked pleased that she'd found someone else willing to actually try to be cheerful in the morning. After the greeting, the room was silent again. Naruto took a seat on the floor, right beside the window, carefully watching both entrances. Over the next half hour or so, the rest of the team filtered into the waiting room, some more awake than others. Slowly they came; Choji, munching a fresh apple for breakfast, Lee, sparkling with his signature "youthful" energy, Tenten, silent as usual, and a younger girl by the name of Ayame, with brilliant red hair. Shino and Konohamaru entered together, talking quietly about the benefits of a swarm, both of them pausing to greet Naruto. Soon they were all present, with the sole exception of Hinata. Naruto frowned faintly, glancing toward the door as Sakura left to alert Tsunade. Neji and a tall, athletically built Hyuuga female had been the last to arrive, and stood close together, looking alert and unhappy.

The second door slid open, and Tsunade gestured at the group to follow her into her office. The blonde woman took up her seat behind her desk and folded her hands pensively as the young shinobi filed silently into their leader's office.

"You are all aware of a disturbance on our northern border," Tsunade began, not waiting for questions. There were nods of consent around the group. "You will all be part of a mission, gathering information on that disturbance. Your first goal will be to reach Suna-" movement by the main door interrupted Tsunade. All eyes found the figure that pushed the door aside and stepped in. Long, dark hair and lavender eyes made at least three of them stiffen. Hyuuga Hinata bowed slightly to Tsunade, her expression slightly pained.

"I apologize, Hokage-sama, for my lateness," she murmured softly. Neji approached her swiftly, followed by the other Hyuuga. Neither of them looked pleased.

_So something is going on…_ Naruto watched, confused as Neji touched her arm, whispering something. Then Hinata shook her head, pulling away, then joining her team. What was happening that he didn't know about? Tsunade waited for the fuss to die down, then continued to explain their mission.

"You will set out for Sunagakure in an hour's time. The Kazekage has information for you." Tsunade's eyes hardened slightly as her gaze traveled from face to face. "Once you have that information, you will split into the teams that I will assign you now, and travel secretly into Rock Country. This is a recon mission, and nothing more. Don't get yourselves caught." A grim mood settled across the group. They knew what capture meant. And excuse for an all-out war. This was a deadly serious mission, far more than was the custom.

"Naruto, Ayame and Shino; #4. Lee, Kisume and Sakura; #3." And so the list went. One healer, one fighter, and one tracker per team. Four teams. Team #1 was made up of Shikamaru, Kiba, Tenten and Neji, and they would lead the teams until they split. Naruto was surprised to learn that Shikamaru had learned healing arts on the side during his absence. Hinata was on team #2, with Choji and Konohamaru. Naruto longed to speak with her, but he didn't have time as Tsunade dismissed them and they all shot off to get their supplies. In half an hour's time, they were gathered in front of the northern gate and ready to leave.

With a feeling of urgency in the air, they left early and traveled with all speed. The thirteen shinobi stayed off the main path, and moved as quickly as stamina would allow. After two day's travel, they would arrive at Sunagakure if they had no delays. Hinata kept up with relative ease, but knew that there was little chance that she would be able to reach the Sand Village without some kind of assistance. Already, her half-healed injuries were protesting, and they had only been going for five minutes! The pain in her heart was more than just physical as well; the glances that Naruto was sending her way let her know that he was worried about her. But she couldn't let him know! Not if it would make him need to protect her. It would only make things harder. Hinata saw him make his way toward her, and blushed furiously, looking away again. How could she hide it from him? She had become adept at hiding physical pain from prying eyes, but he was sure to be able to read her.

"Hinata?" his voice made her heart skip a beat and ache fiercely. But the raven-haired female couldn't bring herself to answer. Concentrating on moving through the trees, Hinata stared at her feet.

"Hinata? Are you alright? I haven't seen you recently…." His tone was concerned, and Hinata looked up at him, meeting his bright azure gaze falteringly.

"N-Naruto-kun…" she murmured, and felt her cheeks heat up again. Her blushing and stammering were back to their old strength. This was what she got for trying to hide things. "I'm f-fine. I j-just had t-to run e-errands… I'm s-sorry th-that I couldn't s-see y-you."

Naruto watched her, his feelings of concern growing. Errands? For four whole days? He could tell that she wasn't telling the whole story, but why would she hide something without a good reason? Deciding to give her the benefit of the doubt, Naruto asked about her welfare, her family, and other things that he had been curious about. Her answers were halting, embarrassed, and sometimes non-existent.

"G-gomen nasai, N-Naruto-k-kun. I g-guess I'm a l-little d-d-distracted," her lavender eyes were full of something that looked like pain now. Was something stopping her from telling him what was going on?

"Hinata… if there's something that you need to tell me-" he saw shock and fear in her expression before she looked away from him. They were at the back of the group now, and no one nearby seemed to be interested in their conversation, all readily engaged in their own time-consuming talks. Was she afraid of someone hearing her?

"N-no, Naruto-kun. Th-there's n-nothing that you need to kn-know r-right now." Her tone was flat, and she wasn't even looking at him. Naruto was sure now that she was lying to him. But why? Perturbed and confused, Naruto let the subject drop, and the two of them traveled in silence.

Hinata inwardly cursed herself. She was a horrible liar, if she was nothing else. He _knew_, and there was nothing that she could do about it. The former heir to the Hyuuga clan felt like a failure, ashamed of herself and her abilities as a ninja. How could she manage to protect those that she cared for, if she couldn't even leave them out of problems that weren't theirs? Now Naruto would know that she had lied to him, and he would never trust her again. Tears stung her eyes, but Hinata managed to push them back down, not trusting herself to shed them now. Pushing herself to go faster, the lavender-eyed woman caught up with the rest of her assigned team and traveled silently with them, leaving a bewildered Naruto behind.

The blonde in question could only watch as Hinata moved away from him. This exchange had cemented his suspicions and brought him to the conclusion that he had acted too rashly on his first day back. Internally, he cursed himself, and the demon inside him reveled in the pool of self-hate collecting in his belly. The icy emotion solidified Naruto's resolve, never to make the first move again. He was positive that if he hadn't kissed her- just that kiss… he had ruined everything. He had pushed away the only chance he had ever had to be loved. Wallowing in his self-hate, Naruto was silent for the rest of the day.

It was sundown of their first day of travel when the group came to a halt. They were deep in the forest now, and had parted with the path early that afternoon. Neji took charge, delegating groups to cook, gather wood for a small fire, fetch water, and find well-hidden places to sleep. He joined the party looking for water, along with his cousin. Sakura approached Naruto as they both moved off to find sleeping spots.

"Naruto, are you ok? You've been awfully quiet today," the pink-haired medic was confused by her old teammate's response. He nodded a little, his expression distant. This wasn't the blonde, hyperactive ninja that she knew. Concerned, she stopped him with a touch on his arm. He turned to look at her, his blue eyes faintly surprised.

"Naruto, I know you. When you're like this, either someone just died or you gave up," Sakura tried to make her tone light, but it didn't work. The worry still came through loud and clear. Naruto stared at her as though she'd just hit him with something heavy and blunt. She'd hit the nail on the head, and Sakura regretted it deeply.

"It's not you're problem," the blonde muttered, looking faintly disappointed. Sakura shook her head.

"You're my friend, Naruto. Is it Hinata? Did something happen?" That dumbstruck stare again. Inwardly, Sakura wished that her guesses weren't quite so accurate.

"She's hiding something. I don't know… I think it's my fault," Naruto suddenly confessed, his blue eyes pleading. Sakura could only assume that she was the first one to inquire. She'd seen the same thing in her patients. With a sigh, she pulled Naruto along behind her. They would talk about it as they worked.

"Tell me, Naruto. I'm listening."

PS

Sorry for the wait, and the short chapter. I wasn't really sure what to do here, and the transition was bothering me. Yes, there are hints of Narusaku here, but trust me, they'll come to nothing. Don't even think about me changing my mind now. Naruhina all the way, baby! R&R, please and thank you!


	10. Stop, Drop, Truth

Disclaimer:

I don't own Naruto, nor to I claim to. Masashi Kishimoto gets all the credit for inventing all the characters in the manga and the anime. However, original characters Ayame and Kisume are completely mine. Enjoy the story!

Chapter 10; Stop, Drop, Truth

Sakura sat awake, watching Hinata sleep restlessly. From what Naruto had told her, there was more to the Hyuuga than she was letting on. The medic sighed faintly. Her old teammate was worried, she could tell. And now that Sakura was paying attention to Hinata, _she_ was too. The dark-haired woman was displaying signs, however well hidden, of being in a great deal of pain. The source of the pain was uncertain, but still…. The pink-haired shinobi sighed again.

How was she supposed to deal with this? Naruto had confided in her, but she wasn't sure if that was just out of necessity or friendship. Things were so complicated, and her old teammate had changed so much.

"Father… I'm sorry…" Hinata mumbled, her face creased in pain as she rolled over again. Sakura couldn't help but wonder what went on behind those silvery eyes. They had become good friends after Naruto's departure, but training and family business had kept the Hyuuga from really hanging out like Sakura did with the others. The pink-haired medic bit her lip. From what she knew about Hinata, her family didn't get along well with her, though the reasons behind it were still a mystery. Could it be that something had happened to keep her away from Naruto? No, she'd always been willing to do practically anything for the blonde.

"What happened to you, Hinata?" Sakura's whisper fell on nothing but the ears of her sleeping companions. There was no sentry tonight, and there wouldn't be until the group left Fire Country lands. With her head in a muddle, and unsure what to think about anything, Sakura curled up in her bedroll and tried to sleep.

Naruto was up in a tree. Perched on a narrow, sturdy branch high above the rest of the group, the blonde stared at the half-moon, trying to figure everything out. He really wasn't making much progress. He was just as confused now as he had been yesterday, and the day before, and twice as worried. Why would Hinata hide something? Again and again, he came to the conclusion that he had done something wrong. But where was the use in worrying about it? There was nothing he could do but wait. Unhappy and rather unsatisfied, Naruto failed to sleep that night. Instead, he watched Hinata as she tossed and turned.

Hinata, poor girl, was only able to sleep on the merit that she had pushed herself to her limit. Her ribs sent sharp needles of pain through her lungs with every breath, and every beat of her strained heart ached dully. But her body was exhausted, and while the pain wouldn't let her rest, her body demanded sleep. Her dreams were full of the disappointed faces of friends and family, telling her that she was doing the wrong thing, that she should give up, that she was unsuited to deal with this. Through the night, she slept restlessly, turning over and over and muttering apologies. Hinata rose before the sun, and was awake and waiting as the others began to do the same.

As they had the previous day, the young shinobi went as fast as they knew they were able to travel all day, and though she tried hard, Hinata found herself falling to the back of the group. The red-haired Kisume fell back from the front and traveled beside the girl that she knew was injured.

"W-why are you here?" Hinata glanced at Kisume. Out of her formal armor, the taller Hyuuga looked… out of place.

"Hokage-sama called my brother and I into service again," the redhead replied lightly, a smile touching her lips. "Hiashi-sama insisted that at least one of us stay behind, so I came alone." There was a pause as Hinata thought about this. It seemed like the siblings were constantly being separated. This must be hard for them, never knowing when one was going to live or the other die. The dark-haired woman's breath was coming in rasps, but she was good at hiding it. Making another leap for the next branch, Hinata faltered. Landing awkwardly, she slipped, and almost fell. Kisume caught her arm and hauled her up, not stopping or crying out.

"Watch your step, Hinata-hime." A lightly given warning, but it was hiding a bigger statement. _'I will be here to make sure you follow my advice.'_

"It's not my t-title anymore," Hinata protested hollowly. Kisume flashed her a smile, short red hair flashing in the sunlight.

"You're welcome."

The high, warm sun shone down on the Kazekage as he stood on the balcony, outside the dark office. It was cooler inside, but his eyes were fixed on the crevasse in the distant cliff-face, were the group from Konohagakure would be arriving any day now.

"Kazekage-sama, the note said they would not arrive until this evening at the earliest." The tired voice of the secretary echoed faintly from inside the empty room. Reluctantly, the man turned away from the view and moved back inside. His dark-ringed blue eyes found the woman sitting at the desk, and he smiled. Gaara had not forgotten what the note said. He was a tall man, his short red hair darker now than it had been. Since the incident with the Akatsuki, when he had almost lost his _Shukaku_, he had been rather wary of using his power. The Akatsuki had been crushed years ago, but it was still a lurking worry in his mind. In his dark red and black clothes, Gaara appeared even more expressionless than normal, his surprisingly light eyes pensive. He glanced through the door into the dim office. A small falcon, with the green band of Konoha on its left wing, was perched by the window, waiting patiently for a correspondence to take back to its home.

"I know what the note said, Mitsuki," he shrugged faintly, hooking a thumb into the broad strap that held his old sand gourd to his back, "I am merely eager for them to arrive."

To the secretary, Gaara looked unbelievably calm. Though she had been working for the Kazekage for the past two years, she had yet to seem him express so much as a faint unhappiness. She had seen him annoyed, oh, yes. Irritated, definitely. But never had Mitsuki seen her boss appear uncertain or anxious. And now, with a vast and dangerous enemy to the north, she could imagine that Gaara was feeling rather pressed, and maybe even a little scared. But if he did feel that way, he never showed it.

"Gaara," Kankuro dropped onto the balcony outside with such abruptness, that Mitsuki stifled a cry of alarm.

"We need to talk to you," finished Tamari, sliding the door open from the hall. Mitsuki almost upset her chair, standing so suddenly that she tripped over her own feet and sat down again. Gaara sent her a faintly amused look, and she flushed hotly under his gaze. Poor girl, she had always been a bit jumpy….

"Go ahead. Some news from the scouts?" Neither of the Kazekage's siblings looked at all surprised that he had predicted their reasons for wanting to speak to him. In unison, they nodded. Kankuro was now in charge of the ninja working within Sunagakure itself, and Tamari had just returned from a recon mission on the borders. Gaara glanced at Mitsuki meaningfully, and immediately the secretary took up a pad of paper and a pen. She was old-fashioned, but very efficient.

"There's been an attack on some of the far northern villages," started Tamari, her dark eyes expressionless, "and many of the civilians are scared. It seems that there's a small force, but we're unclear of their numbers." Gaara nodded slightly, his gaze distant.

"Damage report?" It was a question, but at the same time it was an order. It was unclear how he managed to do it, but Tamari nodded, proffering a compact sheaf of papers. When he waved them away, the blonde set them on Mitsuki's desk.

"Two villages are completely destroyed, and the refugees are taking temporary residence in the sister-town near the northern river." A faint anger crept into Tamari's voice as she spoke. "As far as we can tell, the casualties are minimal, and the aim is to scare." There was a pause and the woman coughed slightly, obviously unhappy with the whole thing.

"And I assume that they are succeeding. Culprits?" Gaara's tone was fairly flat, his expression thoughtful as he spoke.

"Rock ninja, as far as we can tell." Kankuro cut in, his expression far more unhappy than either of his siblings.

"And they brought friends." Gaara glanced at his elder brother, but waited for an explanation. "It seems like these ninja are carrying some kind of disease. People are so terrified of it that I can't figure out what the symptoms are." Kankuro snorted in disgust, though not for the people that were scared.

"Can you elaborate at all?" The Kazekage frowned faintly. This new development was something that he hadn't expected.

"The only thing I can get clear from them are two statements. One is that the illness 'isn't natural' and the other is that 'you can't tell until it's too late.' These people are scared witless." Apparently Tamari had brought a couple of the refugees home with her. Gaara nodded. This would make the visit from Konoha very welcome indeed, though infinitely more complicated.

"Figure out what you can," Gaara ordered, his eyes flashing slightly in the afternoon light, "and report to me as soon as you find anything. I need to have this sorted through by tomorrow."

"Hai!" The two ninja chorused and disappeared to obey his orders. The red-haired man sighed faintly and gazed at the wall for a minute. This would make things a little less clear-cut, but at least he had a direction. After a moment of thought, he ordered Mistuki to take down a note and send it to Konohagakure. Tsunade would be interested in this "disease."

It wasn't until midmorning of the third day that the thirteen young shinobi saw the great cliff, the huge stone wall that protected Sunagakure. Traveling parallel to the sheer rock face, the group searched for the gap in the thing that would let them through. By this time, Hinata was running on pure determination. They were back on the ground now, so it was easy enough to fool the others into thinking she was fine. As long as she didn't start tripping over her own feet….

Kisume watched the one-time Hyuuga heir, her silver eyes narrowed in thought. She looked alright, and her smile seemed genuine enough… but how could the girl be 'alright' after those injuries? And only a week ago? Neji had told her to simply let Hinata do what she felt she needed to and leave her alone. But it seemed so wrong when it was someone as important as the clan-head's firstborn. Not that the clan-head would care very much if Hinata over-exerted herself, still; Kisume watched silently. Ayame, her only present teammate, had noticed her worry, but knew better than to ask. This was Kisume's problem to solve, as far as Ayame knew.

Naruto had taken to watching as well. If he offered his companionship, or (Kami forbid) his help, then Hinata would go scarlet in the face and start stammering so badly it was hard to understand what she was saying. Either he was imagining things, or Hinata was scared. Was she scared of him? The blonde watched, his blue eyes full of concern. She had hardly eaten at all and for some reason, the woman seemed distant, out of reach. Like her mind was traveling elsewhere when she wasn't actively answering someone's question.

"Hey, Naruto!" It was Ino again. She had taken to talking to him on a regular basis recently, and he was grateful for it.

"Yeah?" The blonde woman was grinning at him happily, and he could only wonder why she was so cheerful all the time, though he had once been infamous for the same thing.

"You haven't seen the Kazekage in the long time, right?" her tone was eager, as though there were nothing more interesting than his life.

"No, I guess I haven't." He and Gaara had become good friends, it would be good to see him again.

"Y'know he asks Hokage-sama about you in his notes? I heard it from a friend of mine that…" Naruto didn't hear the rest of Ino's chatter, lost in thought. Gaara had been asking about him? That was interesting. He wondered briefly what it was that the Kazekage had wanted.

"Kazekage-sama, the Konoha shinobi have arrived," the voice of Mitsuki broke through Gaara's thoughts, and he turned with a faint smile.

"Did you get a count?" His voice was expressive only as far as showing he was interested. Beyond that, the tone and inflection were practically nonexistent. Mitsuki nodded, consulting a list in her hand.

"Thirteen of them. All young." The secretary didn't see her leader's reaction, she was too busy flipping pages. "They entered the village borders an hour ago. They should be arriving any minute." Gaara looked thoughtful, his lips pursed slightly. Thirteen? An unusual number…. A knock on the door and the announcement that the Konoha Shinobi awaited him in the conference room made the Kazekage shake off his moment of thought. Gesturing at Mitsuki to stay, the red-haired man moved into the hall and up the stairs to the conference room.

In the airy room, most of the ninja were clustered by the door, talking in light voices. Naruto was by the window, and apart from the group, Neji and Kisume leaned against the wall, observing silently. Hinata was on the outside of the little group, staring blankly at the wall, as though deep in thought. When Gaara entered, the cluster broke up and everyone bowed a little to the "foreign leader." The thick silence was only momentary, for as soon as Gaara spotted Naruto, a smile interrupted the calm of his impassive face.

"Long time no see, Uzumaki-san." Naruto looked around, his expression surprised. But that quickly changed to a huge grin when he saw Gaara. Moving across the room, the two men embraced, then stepped apart to size each other up.

"Well, I have to say the authority fits you." Naruto commented, still grinning. Gaara chuckled.

"More than just authority, friend." With that cryptic remark, the redhead turned away from his old friend, his expression becoming grim. "I assume you know why you are here." Silent nods greeted his statement, and the mood turned solemn. Gaara nodded slightly. This was what he wanted to see. They were ready. Slowly, he began to explain what had happened the previous day, the state of affairs in the Rock Country, and where Wind Country stood in all of it.

As the Kazekage started to instruct them on where to find the information that they would want, Hinata found herself unable to focus on his words.

"The highest concentration of ninja likely to support your cause will be…" The dark-haired woman struggled to listen, but there was a throbbing in her chest that was spreading, spreading… making it hard to pay attention.

"Whatever you do, stay away from the ninja bearing the symbol of…" Hinata swayed slightly. The throbbing was going from distracting to painful. The source of it was easily located- her heart. With each beat, it seemed to push all other sensations away from her mind.

"You will need to travel incognito. Pretending you know nothing will set off alarms. I suggest…" Her knees felt weak, like someone had suddenly drained the strength from them. The sense of urgency that had kept her going was gone, her determination fading. But she had to stay strong! Hinata gritted her teeth and blinked hard, trying to focus. She had to-

Naruto let out a strangled noise, halfway between a growl and a bark, and lunged across the room. Out of the group, he had been the only one to notice. Gaara looked at him strangely, and the rest of the Konoha shinobi glanced at him, their expressions varying from blank to confused. But as he neared Hinata, who was still in the process of collapsing, they all realized what he was so upset about. Naruto himself had only just glanced at Hinata in time to see her eyes roll up into her head and close. Now as he caught her, he felt his own knees give under the abrupt addition of roughly 135 lbs of muscle and bone. A loud thud echoed in floor below as Naruto and Hinata hit the ground. She was unconscious, her breathing shallow and her face flushed, and he was trying to figure out what had happened.

PS

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! I really am sorry that I'm late. I didn't even think about writing the "next chapter" (this one) until Saturday was halfway over, and then I panicked and wrote as fast as I could. After tweaking it a little bit, here's your result! It's a little rough, and critique is more than welcome. As of yet, I have no beta reader, so if you're interested, email me! .com. Stay tuned for the next chapter! Comin' up next weekend!

PPS

If any of you read the phrase _"the high, warm sun shone down on the Kazekage"_ and expected to read the words "Cluny the Scourge," then I laugh in your face! For those of you that didn't think that, you need to read Redwall, by Brian Jacques. It's an amazing book!


	11. Intervention

Disclaimer:

Masashi Kishimoto owns the majority of the characters present in this fanfiction. The two that he doesn't own (Hyuuga Kisume and Kiminu Ayame [pay attention to that second name, it will be important later]) act like he does. DON'T BE FOOLED! They are mine. And of course a special thanks to Kishimoto-sama for letting us borrow his characters.

Warning:

WARNING!!!! If you don't want to see Naruto and Hinata upset with each other, **DON'T READ THIS CHAPTER!!!!** There will be a summary at the end. *smiles sweetly* Oh, and I can guarantee another cliffhanger. Have a nice day.

Chapter 11; Intervention

Hinata was carried out of the room swiftly by two of Gaara's medics, but before he could follow, Naruto was called back.

"You need to hear this information." Naruto glanced worriedly at the door, but returned to the group. His heart wasn't in it anymore. In fact, all of them seemed a little distracted- with the exception of Neji. His wide silver eyes were fixed unfalteringly on Gaara. While the rest of them glanced anxiously at the door from time to time, the Kazekage explained the rest of what he needed to. He could tell they wouldn't remember half of this, and sighed, glancing at Mitsuki. The woman, half-hidden in shadows by the door, nodded slightly.

"There will be a written copy of this briefing for you to review while you are here," Gaara held up a hand as the group relaxed, starting to move toward the door. "But there is something that won't be on that report." Sakura and Naruto, who were closest to the door, paused and looked back. "There is… a disease." Most of the medics in the room stiffened at Gaara's delicate tone. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Seeing that he had their attention, the redhead nodded somewhat gravely.

"It is a fairly recent report for me as well. Apparently, the Rock-shinobi that have been harassing our borders are carrying some form of illness. We do not know the symptoms at the moment, all we know is that it is possibly fatal." Sakura bit her lip and glanced at Naruto. Knowing _his_ luck, he would probably contract the disease before they knew enough about it to cure it. After a few more warning words about avoiding direct contact when possible, Gaara released them.

For the one-day layover planned in Suna, the Konoha teams had been assigned space in the guards' barracks, near the outskirts of the village. The majority of the ninja moved off into town, leaving Neji, Sakura and Naruto to check on Hinata. These two men walked in silence as they followed Sakura- she knew where all the medical stations in all the hidden villages were. Sakura chattered nervously.

"She's always been a little unsteady before… but why would she just collapse like that?" After several minutes of getting no response, the pink-haired medic eventually fell silent. But Naruto was thinking the same thing.

_Why did Hinata faint like that? It wasn't the same as when she's embarrassed. That was more… an energy thing._ Naruto knew what it looked like, and what it felt like, to be so drained of energy that you could barely stand.

_But Hinata wasn't traveling for nearly long enough to get her energy that low. Unless…_ Naruto glanced surreptitiously at Sakura, and saw a faintly grim twist to her mouth, one that told him that she had come to the same conclusion that he had.

…_unless Hinata hadn't had very much energy to begin with. That would mean that either she's exhausted herself training, or something is seriously wrong._ Worry tinged his thoughts now. And guilt. Had it been his fault? Had he, Naruto, been the one that had driven her to such extremes? Swallowing hard, Naruto followed Sakura inside the hospital as she pushed the door open. The receptionist looked like he had expected them, and waved them through without comment.

"Room #342, stairs are over there." Sakura nodded gratefully and strode purposefully by without pausing. Several long hallways and two flights of stairs later, Naruto glanced at Neji. The man's face was impassive, but his hands were flexing in a way that told him that the Hyuuga wasn't happy with his cousin.

Hinata lay still on the white-sheeted bed, her breathing shallow and pained. There was one nurse in the room with her, and she glanced up and smiled warily at the three shinobi. The heart monitor beside the bed was silent, but there was an oxygen mask over her face and an IV hooked up to her pale arm. Neji saw that someone had removed his cousin's coat, and the livid bruises that still mottled her flesh from her "meeting" with Hiashi were blatantly obvious over the low-cut collar of her black shirt and all over her arms. Beside him, Naruto stiffened visibly and Sakura gasped, one hand flying to her mouth in that signature 'oh my' gesture.

"What happened to her?" The question came from Sakura, who was already advancing on the bed. The nurse was tending to the IV and glanced at her nervously. The medic spared only a faint smile for the older woman, but her manner must have seemed enough like a doctor's to soothe the poor nurse's fears.

"An… unfortunate encounter." Neji said softly, and Naruto turned to him, his face twisted with anger.

"You mean that you knew she was injured?" The blonde's tone was soft, but the anger he felt was evident in every line of his tense body. Sakura sent a sharp glance at the two men and sighed.

"You mean that _you_ could have stopped her from coming if she was determined?" Naruto seemed to deflate a little, but his anger toward Neji was not dimmed. Closing her eyes, most likely to ignore the two men rather than to concentrate, Sakura traced Hinata's bruises with gentle fingers.

"Her sternum has been healed… very well too, I might add," Sakura murmured, her hands glowing faintly green. "But these injuries are still very unstable. Her heart has been re-injured…." The medic opened her eyes and sent a sharp glance at Neji. He looked away, his expression angry. The nurse, sitting in the chair beside Hinata's bed, watched all of this in faint confusion.

"Did you-" Naruto had turned on Neji again, but the Hyuuga male cut him off sharply.

"No!" A slight pause, then, "no… I would have rather put myself in her place than see her like this." The blonde looked nonplussed, his azure eyes faintly unfocused as he took a step back. He hadn't known that the ties between Hinata and her cousin had grown quite that strong.

"Then why didn't you take her to the hospital, or at least tell a medic?" Sakura asked, her attention back on probing the dark woman's injuries.

"I was forbidden," Neji answered evasively. Naruto moved to Hinata's side and watched her face for a moment, wondering what was going on behind her closed eyes. Why had she come, when she was so badly wounded? This would delay her departure from Suna at least, and maybe the rest of them as well. Naruto didn't care how the mission suffered- he would stay with her regardless of the consequences. After a few minutes passed, Sakura drew her hands away, looking unhappy. She stood and dusted herself off, thanking the nurse politely.

"She's suffering from severe exhaustion, not to mention her previous internal injuries." The medic took a deep breath and made for the door, her face almost expressionless. She paused at the door just long enough to glance back at the woman on the bed and finish her diagnosis. "If she goes on at this rate, her heart will fail."

Only the breathing of its two occupants broke the stillness in the little room. Hinata's eyes flickered open, her pupil-less silvery irises betraying little of what was happening behind them. Though the window was open, and she knew it was, because of the warm, dry breeze circling the room, it was dark.

_Dark = nighttime._ Hinata tilted her head slightly, following her senses to where she could see someone else, arms crossed, asleep on the chair beside her bed. She could see that the person was asleep, and that they were probably male, but the dimness of the room stopped her from taking note of any details.

_Sentry… making sure I don't… do what?_ Rocking her head back to where it had been, the Hyuuga noted the trail of tubes that followed her movements, and recognized the fact that she was wearing an oxygen mask for the first time. Taking care not to make any sudden moves, Hinata pulled the mask off of her face, inhaling deeply of the fresh air. That motion made her ribs protest a lot, and she winced faintly.

"Why do you do those things, if you know it'll hurt?" the male voice at her side made her jump a little, and the woman pushed her dark hair back from her face.

"I don't know… 'listening to pain is weakness' is what my fath-" she stopped herself, closing her eyes briefly. He wasn't her father anymore. "…what my clan-leader tells me. I guess… I guess I just want to be strong." Hinata listened to herself speak, and wondered why she had told this stranger that. Well, maybe not a stranger, but the voice was one she couldn't quite place. The answer was fairly easy to find as it surfaced in her mind, clear as day.

_I gave him an answer because he asked. No one else has ever asked._ The man beside her picked up the oxygen mask that was now sitting on the bed beside her.

"And what if your… clan leader is wrong?" The question was soft, but the woman on the bed stared at him as though he'd just blasphemed a god. After a moment, she seemed to find her voice again.

"That wouldn't happen. Hiashi-sama always does what is best for his clan," Hinata stated, gazing at this man in confusion. How could he question a clan head? The man's posture didn't change; for all appearances his was still inspecting the oxygen mask in his hand. But for a moment, woman sensed his gaze was on her.

"So your Lord Hiashi is infallible? Is he a god of some kind?" His tone was still soft, but there was a hint of sarcasm to his words. For a moment, Hinata couldn't believe what she was hearing. Then she pushed herself up onto her elbows, an emotion stirring within her that hadn't in very long time; anger. She feared that emotion. She feared what it did to people, and what it might steer _her_ to do to others. Quickly, the spark of anger was swamped in a tide of uncertainty.

"No, not a god. He is simply a wise man. He would never do anything that would harm his family." Her voice shook. She did not like it when Hiashi was questioned- it brought her into conflict with others. Hinata didn't like conflict. The man made a faint sound in his throat that was somewhere between a snort and a sigh.

"So what happened here," he waved a hand at her liberally bruised chest and arms, "wasn't 'harming his family' in any way at all?" This time, there was no disguising the distaste in the man's voice. Hinata trembled, as much from the emotions wracking her body as from the effort of keeping herself up off the pillows.

"I only received what I deserved. Hiashi-sama is just in his punishments." The man set down the mask, but his movements were stiff with anger. His face still hidden in shadow, he turned so that he was facing her.

"Your father has never recognized your talent as a ninja. You deserve much more than what you receive, Hinata." Naruto was struggling to keep his genjutsu in place now, so great was his anger toward Hiashi. The jutsu was one that disguised his voice and hid his face, and one he had practiced plenty over the months following his departure with Jiraiya. But Hinata- she was still defending him! Defending a man that had basically given her over to Kurenai-sensei with instructions not to send her back until she was useful. Naruto didn't know if Hiashi himself had attacked his daughter, but regardless of who had done it, Hiashi _should_ have been the one to stop it.

"There has never been anything to recognize." Hinata said it sadly, as though it were a confession. "My skills as a shinobi are minimal, and-" Naruto cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"You are a jounin, are you not? That is a feat that not all ninja can accomplish." Naruto stated this as blithely as he could manage, trying to get his point across. But it felt like there was just no way to get through to her! With woman shook her head wordlessly, her lavender eyes sad in the dim light.

"You don't understand." Hinata murmured softly, but the accusation stung. Understand? _He_ didn't understand? She had no idea what he had been through! This woman's loyalty was admirable, but severely misplaced.

"Don't you think," suggested Naruto softly, turning his head so he wasn't looking directly at her, "that if he really cared for you like a father should, he wouldn't let things like this happen to you?" The blonde forced his tone to stay calm, but the faint notes of anger that remained were clear as day. Hinata looked stricken, and pushed herself into a sitting position, wincing slightly.

"My father cares for his family! He would do anything for us!" she protested vehemently, still supporting her weight with one hand. Her eyes flashed bright silver in the dim light and the force behind her words took Naruto aback. "Just because I don't deserve-" Her tone was more than enough to tip Naruto right over the edge. Hiashi didn't deserve this girl's dedication! Interrupting her words with a simple gesture, the man stood, shaking slightly.

"_Just_ because that cold-hearted tyrant can't recognize a true ninja when she's right under his nose," without a thought, he dropped the genjutsu, and his voice rang strongly in the room, "doesn't mean that you don't deserve to be noticed!"

Hinata stared at him, lavender eyes as wide as saucers in the dark. First, she trembled with fear and uncertainty. What was Naruto doing here? Then, a surge of strength coursed through her body. How could he say such a thing about her father? Deserving or not, she had to defend his honor!

"My father is _not_ a tyrant!" Hinata snapped, anger flavoring her tone at last. It seemed that Naruto had finally crossed the line. "He is a great leader- greater than you will ever know! It's not _his_ fault that I wasn't a suitable heir!" The man stared at her for a moment. Why wouldn't she just admit that her father was an evil jerk that had disowned, dishonored and beat her? Finally, for lack of anything better to do, the blonde laughed harshly. It wasn't a very pleasant sound.

"He _is_ a tyrant, but if you refuse to see the truth, you'll never be free from him." Naruto pointed out. His tone was still hard, but there was a hint of sadness in his words as well. "Don't expect me to let this slide. Clan leader or not, Hiashi has no right to do this to you." With that, the blonde walked to the door. There was a finality in his stride that seemed to stun Hinata into silence. She watched him silently, almost glaring. But… there was a kind of trembling- a fear in her now. The door snapped shut behind the man, and she slumped back onto the pillows, shaking. How could it have gotten this bad? Now even Naruto was set against her family. First it had been Kiba and Shino… then Kurenai-sensei… everyone seemed to think that she was being mistreated. Hinata's heart ached, and she closed her eyes. A slow tear dripped, solitary and warm, down her cheek.

The next morning, Neji called the group together, and they all met on the barrack's roof, sans Hinata. Naruto seemed oddly silent, but the Hyuuga male ignored him as usual. In a confident manner, he told them that they would be leaving to two day's time, and that they should get the rest here while they could. There was a general murmur of assent, and the Konoha ninja disbanded into the town to eat, talk, and relax while they still had the opportunity. All of then, and is, except Naruto. The solitary blonde ninja stayed on the rooftop and stared up at the sky, its blazing heat not bothering him in the least. A single question circled his mind unceasingly.

_Did I do the right thing?_

Summary:

Hinata is found out, and Sakura, while angry over her condition, offers that there is nothing for it but rest. Naruto takes the liberty of watching over her, but when she awakes, he can't help but ask a question or two. Her answers aren't what he wanted. She is loyal to her family, despite what has happened to her. Their discussion gradually escalates, until Naruto finally snaps and tells Hinata that "_Just_ because that cold-hearted tyrant can't recognize a true ninja when she's right under his nose, doesn't mean that you don't deserve to be noticed!" Hinata retorts that her father isn't a tyrant, and Naruto promises that he won't let Hiashi get away with what he's done and leaves. The next morning, Neji tells the group that they won't be leaving Suna for another two days, and that they should relax while they can. Naruto is left wondering whether or not he did the right thing.

An Extra Note for My Readers:

YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!!! This is now my EPIC chapter 11, and I've gotten so much feedback! Thanks to all of you! *bows at readers' feet* I am not worthy! Please, review if you like the chapter. Or if you don't review anyway and tell me what you don't like. I worked really hard to get this scene right, so please don't kill me… my stories burn with too many flames. THANK YOU again! See you next week!!!


	12. Not So Fond Farewells

Disclaimer:

No matter how sad it is (or how many schemes I cook up) Naruto and co. STILL don't belong to me. All credit must go to Masashi Kishimoto and his awesomeness for coming up with these characters and the setting. The plot is all mine, and so are Kisume and Ayame. BEWARE!!!

Chapter 12; Not-So-Fond Farewells

Once Hinata was up and walking again (which Sakura did _not_ approve of in the least) the group was ready to head out. Gaara met with them one more time, running over where each team would be heading, this time with the assistance of a map. Some of them would be splitting off immediately; others would travel together, then part later. It just so happened that Neji's team and Hinata's were going in the same general direction. Neither Hyuuga made any comment, but there was a tension between them that even Konohamaru could sense. As the Kazekage dismissed them and wished them swift travels, the teams left immediately, following their own directions.

Between Teams 1 and 2, it was former teammates Shikamaru and Choji that broke the ice. They chattered lazily to each other as they trudged through the hot, sandy desert. Their instructions were clear- 'stay off the roads until you've traveled for a day and a night, then get on a road and travel incognito.' Konohamaru, unlucky kid, was right between Neji and Hinata, and kept catching their nervous/unhappy glances. Hinata was the one doing most of the looking, and she seemed the more agitated of the two. So, of course, it was she that Konohamaru decided to talk to.

"Oi, Hinata!" grinning at her, the boy hooked his thumbs through the straps of his traveling-pack. He had grown considerably since Naruto had left, becoming a young man with the title of chuunin. In his own right, Konohamaru was an exceptional ninja, mastering techniques far quicker than anyone had expected him to. Hinata smiled a bit, but her heart wasn't in it.

"Konohamaru-san," she nodded politely, having little else to say. The boy's spiky black hair drooped a little in the heat, and he made a face. No one called him 'san' any more. Since his grandfather's death, he had taken to following Naruto's advice. _'If you want to be Hokage, you need to earn the respect people give you. Don't just mooch of your grampa's position.'_ So far, it had served him well.

"Please, just call me Konohamaru." The boy grinned at her again, hoping she would open up a bit. To him, she seemed sad. But why did he think that? Hinata relaxed a little, her smile becoming more genuine as she focused her attention on him.

"But that would be rude, wouldn't it?" Her tone, while still distracted, was a little less tense than before. Konohamaru congratulated himself inwardly on his small victory. Maybe if he could help Hinata, Naruto would actually come talk to him! He'd seen the way that the older shinobi looked at the Hyuuga woman, and sensed that something more than friendship was afoot. Considering Hinata's question, he shrugged a little.

"I guess it would. How 'bout just 'kun' then?" It was a step up from 'san,' at least. Hinata rewarded him with a dazzling (if somewhat hollow) smile.

"Alright, Konohamaru-kun. If you agree to call me 'chan.'" She was treating him like a little brother now, instead of a stranger. Konohamaru chuckled and agreed to her bargain.

"It's a deal, Hinata-chan." The boy's thoughts wandered a little. Had she always been this nice? It was possible… he'd never really associated with the older shinobi, other than his own sensei.

Hinata chatted with Konohamaru, carefully keeping their talk on safe topics. She continued to glance at her cousin, but refrained from saying anything to him. To others, perhaps, Neji was an unreadable enigma. But to his own cousin, he was obviously very worried. Why was he worried? Hinata couldn't figure it out. And as Konohamaru claimed more of her attention, she started to ignore the guilt burning in the pit of her stomach. She was positive that somehow it was her fault. The boy beside her made an odd statement, hauling her focus back to him.

"What?" she looked at him again, blinking against the bright sunlight. Konohamaru was scanning the sand to their collective left, his brow furrowed in concentration.

"I thought… I thought I saw something. In the sand… it was like a big fish." This statement was greeted with a snicker from Kiba. He was just behind the pair, walking beside his enormous cream-and-brown dog, Akamaru.

"A fish? There are no fish in the desert, Konohamaru. Your brain must be frying in the heat." The dog-ninja continued to laugh quietly, his large canines glittering in the bright light. But his dog looked uncertain. Sniffing the hot, dry air, Akamaru let out a thin, high whine. Kiba's laughter stopped like it had hit a brick wall as he looked at his furry companion. The dog was still padding obediently through the sand, ignoring the heat as they traveled. But his snout was aimed clearly to the left as they walked, his ears tilted forward with interest.

Now the others were paying attention as well. Choji, who had been daydreaming about food, had looked around at the mention of fish. Tenten frowned as though thinking hard, one hand tapping the large scroll on her back lightly. Shikamaru had his usual blank expression on, which told the rest of them absolutely nothing. Neji was trying to keep his mind on their direction, but he too was glancing to the left now, somewhat intrigued. Looking more curious than anything else, Hinata was the first to investigate further. She engaged her Byakugan, still walking steadily with the others. Neji watched her, frowning faintly. True to her thoughts (though he had no way of knowing that she could tell) the silver-eyed man was quite worried. The condition of his cousin's injuries was uncertain, but he had seen the report that Sakura wrote up. The danger of her weakened heart made him worry more than anything else, knowing that in her present state of mind, Hinata wasn't likely to give herself the rest that she needed. But he also knew that she had been training under the pink-haired medic to learn some of the basic healing techniques in her spare time. So the question now was simple. What would come of it? He could hardly confront her on it, let alone order her to go back.

"There's nothing there." Hinata looked slightly confused as she announced this aloud. Konohamaru shook his head stubbornly, finally stopping in his tracks. They were far from Sunagakure now, the buildings having long since sunk into the distance.

"I saw something there, I know I did," he protested, squinting again at the sand. Kiba's expression was ruffled as Akamaru whined again.

"Akamaru says he smelled something, but he can't identify it." Surprisingly, it was Tenten that spoke next. The master of hidden weapons rarely spoke now, but all eyes were on her when she did.

"Perhaps there was something there, but it can move through the sand, so it's not there now." The brunette's suggestion was sound. Choji was muttering something about eating it, but Neji nodded slightly.

"Keep your eyes open," he ordered, his voice soft. The teams nodded in unison as he continued, "we'll keep moving for now. As long as it doesn't attack us, it's none of our concern." There was a general agreement, but no one could quite shake the urge to glance to the left and right, scanning the sand for movement.

Ayame thought about Kisume's orders to observe Naruto, and intercede if necessary. He seemed rather unhappy with himself at the moment, and the young woman could understand why. This Uzumaki Naruto, though she had never worked with him personally, was obviously a kind person and worried about his friends. It wasn't exactly hard to divine that he was rather attached to the Hyuuga heir, Hinata.

The woman trotted along, thumbs hooked through the shoulder-straps of her bag and strawberry-blonde hair waving slightly in the still desert air. In the absence of Neji, it was Naruto who had taken charge, and now led the way as she and Shino followed. True to her word, Ayame watched Naruto closely. The medic knew very little of the blonde beside what her old friend, and teammate, Kisume had told her. But even as little as she knew, Ayame could tell that he was worried.

"Are you sure of our direction?" Shino's voice was soft and dark, his expression completely unreadable behind his tinted glasses and high collar. Naruto glanced at him, his azure eyes shining the same color as the distant horizon- cloudless and brilliant. He seemed to think for a moment before answering.

"Our heading is true," the blonde flashed a grin at his old friend, "don't start doubting me now, Shino." Ayame's silvery-blue eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she pushed her reddish hair out of her face. She wasn't positive, but it seemed like Naruto had changed direction slightly after Shino's question.

_He's second-guessing himself…_ the medic gazed at the sand pensively. What had happened to Naruto lose his infamous self-confidence?

"Oi, Ayame!" The strawberry-blonde lifted her head, noting that she had wandered slightly. With a self-depreciating smile, Ayame corrected herself. Naruto, who had called her name, was looking at her curiously. All the worry that had been in his face earlier was gone now as he grinned at her.

"Have we ever worked together before?" he asked the question lightly, and genuine curiosity flavored his voice. Ayame let herself smile as she answered his question, speaking to him directly for the first time since they had been assigned to this mission.

"No. I graduated from the Academy a year after you did. Our teams never had any reason to work together." The girl spoke softly, but her voice carried well. She was one of those people that it was just pleasant to listen to. Naruto looked surprised, but his smile didn't fade at all as they plodded side by side through the sand.

"You're only seventeen?" He seemed pleased to have someone to talk to. Soon, the two of them were chatting casually, forging the team bonds that Tsunade had always said were so important. Ayame confessed (with a faint blush) that she was actually only sixteen. She had graduated along with Kisume and their friend Takeshi, and had been on their team until Kisume was called away to serve her clan and Takeshi had died in an accident during the chuunin exams. Naruto frowned.

"Kisume? You mean Hyuuga Kisume?" Ayame was slightly confused, but nodded. What did Kisume being part of the Hyuuga clan have to do with anything? The shadow soon passed, but Naruto pursued the topic no further, instead moving on to discuss training.

­­

Kisume, several kilometers away and walking alongside Sakura on the smooth dirt road, sneezed suddenly. The pink-haired medic glanced at her oddly.

"Dust?" Kisume sneezed a couple more times before shaking her head to clear it.

"Must be." The two of them and Rock Lee were already in civilian-style clothes, weapons hidden and _hitai-ate_ stowed away in their packs. The taijutsu specialist was silently mourning the loss of his beloved spandex, plucking at the comparatively loose clothes he wore now. None of the three friends noticed the presence of a fourth, watching them from the shadows of a distant boulder. The woman lowered her binoculars, a wicked smile on her face. The Master would be pleased to hear of this.

A Note For My Readers: I am sorry!!!! *bows at your feet and grovels like a puppy* I didn't mean to be so late! I'm caught up in all sorts of business right now and I'm doing my best! Please don't mob me! *fears pitchforks and torches*


	13. Innocent Hands

**Disclaimer:** No, I did not withhold this chapter fro you for vast amounts of time- in fact I only finished it yesterday. The characters involved (all of them, this time) belong to Masashi Kishimoto, and I can't claim credit for any of the below. Fear not, my dear friends! Your crazy internet-neighbor has a plan! I need a Yeti, a length of yarn and a stuffed lion. Any volunteers for the live bait?

**Chapter 13**

Innocent Hands

Tsunade sighed, letting her head fall with a hollow thump onto her desk. What kind of a mess did she get herself into? After all, it wasn't her fault she was the Hokage! And if a clan leader under her control was doing things that attracted attention like Hiashi was doing, then what choice did she have? She had to get involved. Lifting her heavy blonde head, the woman gazed sourly at the scroll laying open on her desk. Sakura's report had come back fairly quickly, detailing the injuries Hyuuga Hinata had endured. The descriptions made Tsunade angry, not only as Hokage, but as a healer. What kind of a man could do that to his own daughter? His _heir_, no less!

But in this, of all situations, her hands were truly tied. Hiashi was a powerful clan head, wielding the influence of one of Konoha's largest and oldest families, not to mention the holder of the only remaining kekkei genkai in the village. There was very little she could do without turning a good many of the clan leaders against her. Soft knocking on the door of her office snapped Tsunade out of her dismal reverie.

"Yeah, whaddya want?" The woman raised her voice, clipped and tired despite the fact she'd slept in until six o'clock this morning. It was Shizune's head that poked around the door with a frown on her delicate face.

"Tsunade-hime, you should really get to work on... on your..." The Hokage's aide trailed off, her dark eyes widening at the sight of- Tsunade's desk? The top of the desk was clean! "On your... lunch. Get to work on your lunch. You'll need it." The save was smooth, but not enough to cover the awkward gap in her speech, let alone the amazed expression on her face. Shizune pushed her way into the office, unable to recover sufficiently enough- hiding her surprise wasn't going to happen. An elegant bamboo tray held Tsunade's lunch; steaming rice and a bowl of delicious-smelling soup.

"Go get me a drink, won't you Shizune?" Tsunade made a face, looking at the scroll on her desk before shoving it onto the floor. "I really need-"

"No." Shizune's answer came, mechanical as always. "You're on duty. Maybe later." She was checking under the desk, to see if any of the piles of papers had mysteriously relocated themselves there. There was no such luck. Simple solutions rarely presented themselves on such occasions, but Shizune wasn't willing to give up. Several filing cabinets were opened and closed in quick succession as Tsunade watched her long-time friend.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," the blonde commented dryly, swirling the soup around with a wooden spoon. "They aren't here. I filled them out and shipped them off earlier this morning." When the dark-haired aide looked disbelievingly at her boss, Tsunade gestured at the scroll that lay crumpled on the floor, reminding her of more bad news. "I was... inspired." The thought of the healer in a destructive (yet paradoxically productive) rage was enough to make Shizune stifle a laugh. Tsunade shrugged, leaning back in her chair again. This one had a crack in the seat. She'd need to get a new one soon... Leaning down, she picked up Sakura's report again, scanning the length of the scroll as her eyebrows knit together once more.

"Oh, Tsunade-hime, I have something for you." From under the bamboo tray, Shizune pulled a sheaf of papers. The Hokage groaned and waved them away, gesturing for her friend to put them on the corner of the desk, where a new mountain of paperwork would undoubtedly start its growth before the end of the day.

"It's hopeless, Shizune!" Tsunade frowned at the picture of the Hyuuga girl that was affixed to the heavy fabric of the scroll. "I'll never get enough dirt on that man to even call him into question, let alone get him in court." She glanced up, noticing that her friend hadn't put the offending sheaf down yet. There was a sly smile on Shizune's face as she proffered the papers again.

"I might be able to help you with that, Lady Hokage," she smiled, her tone triumphant. Tsunade dropped the scroll, eyes wide as she took the papers.

"Is this-?"

"It is."

Tsunade flipped to the first page, a broad grin spreading across her tired face. This was _just_ what she needed!

"Get under it, Tenten!" The man directions were well-timed. The hidden weapons specialist threw herself between the scuttling legs into the beast's shadow. Neji avoided yet another swipe at his head, though the enormous claw did manage to catch his long hair. With a yell, he cut himself free and attacked the creature's eyes, unwilling to let this battle go on much longer. Hinata kept the tail occupied, its poisonous tip striking repeatedly at the hot sand as she and Akamaru attacked its base.

The creature resembled nothing so much as an enormous scorpion. An impressive frill arched over its back, now flushed red with blood as it attempted to kill what had been a meal, but was now a threat. The tail, with its barbed point dripping venom, was flattened and scaled, like the tail of an alligator. Suddenly, Kiba and Konohamaru were thrown from the beast's wide, flat back as it jerked wildly, one of its eyes now leaking blood. Konohamaru stumbled as he landed, but maintained his balance. He wasn't accustomed to sand yet. Kiba landed on all fours and glanced at the team leader, unwilling to take his eyes off the monster for more than a second.

"It's ready, Neji!" the Inuzuka bellowed, collecting a smug-looking Konohamaru and springing away from the scorpion's skittering legs.

"Now, Tenten!" Neji's order came not a moment too soon. The woman was finding it difficult to stay under the thing's belly. With a grunt of acknowledgment, she touched her scroll, making the necessary sign with her other hand. There was a slight pause as she pushed something upward, making the creature twitch again.

"Three seconds!" she yelled. Hinata gasped as Akamaru shoved her aside, toward the nearest dune. Seven feet, ten feet, thirteen feet.

"Two seconds!" Konohamaru protested loudly as Kiba carried him like a sack of potatoes. Fifteen feet, eighteen feet, twenty. Kiba paused at the top of the hill to look back.

"One second!" Tenten threw herself over the dune's crest, followed closely by Kiba. She glanced back to check on Neji, and felt her heart stop beating. The Hyuuga stood in front of the beast, still evading the giant pincers. He was keeping the enraged animal's attention on himself. Tenten ducked just in time.

The explosion was louder than it should have been. Pieces of exoskeleton and scorpion-meat flew in all directions. The ninja sheltering in the big dune's shadow winced in unison. The ringing silence immediately afterward was filled with soft thumps and sickening splats. Then, there was nothing. Hinata moved first. Spurred on by fear and adrenaline, the dark-haired young woman clambered up the shifting sand to look into the little valley where the beast had attacked them. If anything happened to Neji, she didn't know what she would do. Tenten came up beside her, and what they saw made their hearts leap into their mouths.

"Neji!"

"Neji-nii-san!"


	14. Hidden In Plain Sight

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters described in the chapter below, with the exception of Kiminu Ayame and Hyuuga Kisume. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 14**

Hidden in Plain Sight

Hiashi looked his messenger over with the cold, unnerving stare that never seemed to shift away from the man's soul. With a shiver, the messenger stuttered an apology.

"I didn't mean to disturb you, Lord Hiashi. I was ordered to give you the news immediately." The only response to this excuse was a slight nod. The clan head was deep in thought. If Hinata's injuries had been discovered, there was a chance that he would be found out. Still, what could anyone do about things in the past? Besides, he was the lord of his clan, and no one else. Within the walls of this compound, he was all-powerful, and had the right to to whatever he wished to. A slow smirk curved his thin lips and Hiashi chuckled to himself. The messenger twitched at the sound, but didn't move from his position on the floor, kneeling before his clan's leader.

"Thank you for your assistance. You are dismissed." There was no identifiable emotion in Hiashi's voice. The messenger bowed and stood, turning away gratefully. There had been a time when Hiashi had been a great leader and a father-figure to many of the Hyuuga warriors. But it seemed those days were over. Reaching the door, the man glanced over his shoulder at his stoic leader, wondering why he had smiled at the news of his daughter's near-fatal injuries.

Twilight was closing in on the dry forest. A single figure, robed in dark grey, stood in the shadow of an enormous oak tree, staring up at the spreading branches. His face was in shadow, a wide-brimmed straw hat tied to his head. Tiny bells hung from the hem of the stranger's cloak, tinkling as the wind rose up around him.

"My lord." A female voice, coming from behind in the most respectful tone anyone could manage. He turned slightly, but didn't speak, the bells tinkling in acknowledgment of her presence. She took a breath and continued. "Konohagakure has sent a team north. There are three of them." A faint rustling broke the silence and then a soft thump. A young man landed beside the woman, kneeling and breathing loud and harsh.

"No, there are six." He flashed a smile at the woman, who only scowled at him. Figures the little punk would have to out-do her. At _everything_. The young man went on eagerly. "There appear to be two separate teams. They're headed north, to the border." Again, no reply from the robes figure. He nodded slightly and the bells tinkled again. It seemed to be some sort of dismissal, for the two ninja bowed their heads in unison.

"Yes Master." There was only a faint stir of air as they vanished, already bickering with one another over who had brought the most useful information. The bell-wearing man was silent as peace settled around him again. The wind brought a sigh from the leaves overhead and the bells on his cloak tinkled softly in reply.

"Not long now," he murmured, rough voice deep and masculine. "Not long."

Ayame watched the blonde as he scanned the trees again. They had left the path almost a full day ago, but nothing would convince Naruto that they were safely away from people. It was just as well, being closer than ever to enemy territory, but still.

_There's more than just fear of the immediate in him._ After their conversation earlier that day, exploring the differences in training techniques, Naruto had become silent and thoughtful. The redhead thought that maybe it was her fault, but he hadn't seemed disappointed by their talk. In fact, she was under the impression that he'd enjoyed it. Now, Ayame watched his back as he walked ahead, his blonde hair swaying from side to side as he scanned the trees. She had heard so many stories about Uzumaki Naruto and his adventures... it was hard to imagine that the person she was associating with now was the same guy. The shadows were deepening still as light and motion caught Ayame's eye.

"Not yet, pretty ones," Shino murmured through his tall collar. The lightning bugs bobbed about his head for a moment longer, then drifted away again. When Naruto finally called them to a halt, the sun was just touching the horizon. His teammates set their backpacks down and glanced at one another. Shino was silent as always, selecting a wide-branching conifer tree. He scaled it in the fading light as Naruto watched carefully. When the bug-nin was settled, Naruto nodded to Ayame. She too was silent as she chose the smaller tree neighboring Shino's. At last, Naruto clambered quietly into his own tree. Three pairs of eyes met and glimmered in the darkness. Three clones poofed into existence, moving about the clearing and setting up camp. If any more security than that was needed, then they would know soon enough.

Several kilometers away, Kisume scanned the trees, her Byakugan-enhanced eyes shining like liquid silver in the quickly fading light.

"Clear," she murmured. Sakura sighed and shook her head. After leaving the desert behind and splitting off from the others, the medic had come to the conclusion that tension like this was the equivalent of putting her nerves on low heat to simmer. Everything made her edgy. Having nothing to be edgy _about_ made it worse. Shikamaru nodded to his companions in the gathering gloom.

"We'll stop here for tonight." His smooth, lazy voice was lowered to a hush as the hot breeze whispered through the branches above their heads. "We'll leave before dawn. Sleep well, girls." He faded into the growing darkness, his eyes darting this way and that cautiously. No one would feel at ease in their sleeping bags tonight.

Shikamaru wasn't the only one watching as the two girls found a deep hollow under the roots of a forest giant. A woman crouched in the branches of a towering pine tree, concentrating on keeping her breathing slow and even. The boy looked like he had Nara blood in him, and that girl was definitely a Hyuuga. They would be dangerous. Orders were to obtain the potentially useful and dispose of the dangerous.

_No acting, no matter the opportunity. Just observe for now._ The woman shivered, her silvery hair falling into her eyes again. _Don't worry, Brother. I won't let you down._


End file.
